


Need

by allwaswell16



Series: Until [2]
Category: One Direction (Band), Shawn Mendes (Musician)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Anal Sex, Colorado, Cowboy Harry Styles, Cowboy Hats, Cowboy Shawn Mendes, Cowboys & Cowgirls, Epilogue in Shawn's pov, Famous Niall Horan, Goats, Guitars, Heartbreak Weather Fic Fest, Horses, Humor, Light Angst, Los Angeles, M/M, Mountains, Music, Musician Niall Horan, Non-famous Shawn Mendes, Oral Sex, POV Niall Horan, Pop Star Niall Horan, Riding, San Francisco, Smut, Song Lyrics, Songfic, Songwriter Louis Tomlinson, Songwriting, Strangers to Lovers, side larry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16
Summary: Niall Horan loved his job. Who wouldn’t? He was the biggest pop star in the world, and he’d found his kindred spirit in songwriting and friendship, Louis Tomlinson. The sky was the limit now. He had the perfect place they could hide themselves away from the world and write his next album...his uncle’s horse ranch in Colorado. What he didn’t expect was the cowboy next door.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes
Series: Until [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894828
Comments: 24
Kudos: 75
Collections: Heartbreak Weather Fic Fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part two of a series BUT you absolutely do not need to read the first fic in the series to read this one. It is a stand alone fic and was written as such. The first fic takes place in generally the same timeframe as this one.
> 
> This fic was inspired by the song Nice To Meet Ya (and tbh the entire Heartbreak Weather album) and was written for the Heartbreak Weather Fic Fest. You can read all the other fics for this fest [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HeartbreakWeatherFicFest)!
> 
> Huge thanks to my betas [taggiecb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taggiecb/pseuds/taggiecb) and [Nic](https://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/) as well as [Sus](https://lululawrence.tumblr.com/) for cheerleading me and keeping me on track!
> 
> Thank you to [Lou](https://twitter.com/_nouies) for the amazing trailer video for this fic that you can find [here](https://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/631516929973190656/n-e-e-d-written-for-the-heartbreakweatherficfest)! And thank you to [matchingbees](https://matchingbees.tumblr.com/) for the beautiful gifs for the fic post that you can find [here](https://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/632235241410641920/u-n-t-i-l-a-series-by-allwaswell16-part-one)!

Niall slept the entire flight from New York to Eagle County, Colorado. 

His body had grown so used to flying that just stepping foot on a plane caused drowsiness at this point. So when the plane touched down, he awoke to a view he hadn’t seen in quite some time, huge mountains and clear skies. 

He said his farewells to his pilot and crew and was whisked away straight from the runway by a familiar face.

“Gregory, what’s up? Didn’t know you’d be my driver, bro!” Niall clapped Greg on the back as best he could considering Greg seemed to have grown an entire foot since the last time he’d seen him when they were teenagers. 

Greg grinned as he opened Niall’s door for him. “Hey, Niall. Been a while. And yeah, I’ve been driving all the big celebrities around these parts. None as big as you, of course.”

Niall snorted. “Ah, fuck off.”

“It’s not every day I know someone who has a private jet.” Niall squirmed a bit at Greg’s response. The last time he’d been here to visit his uncle and Meg, his career had just started taking off.

He decided to change the subject. “Well, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around a bit. Gonna be staying at Hank’s for a while.”

“I figured when I drove your incredibly hot co-worker here the other day.”

Niall cackled as Greg wiggled his eyebrows. “Don’t go getting any ideas about my songwriter, Gregory. I’m going to keep him plenty busy writing songs. We’re here to stay _away_ from distractions.”

Greg sighed. “Fine. Meg already told me off about it.”

“Of course she did.” He smiled at the thought of his uncle’s housekeeper as if anyone ever really thought she was just Uncle Hank’s housekeeper. Something was definitely going on there, though he never did quite figure out exactly what it was between them. Maybe this was the visit that he’d finally determine the nature of their relationship.

Once Greg flicked on Sirius radio, they spent the rest of the ride out to Westmeath Gypsy Stables singing along to The Eagles as Niall watched the familiar landscape of his youth through the windows. Something about this place had always called to him, the mountains that stretched to the clouds had him looking to the sky and the wide open land breathed freedom into his chest. It was only his relentless touring schedule that had kept him away this long. 

It felt really good to be back.

When he spied the long drive leading up towards Hank’s enormous horse ranch, his smile split open across his face. There was a certain kind of happiness that he could only experience here, and he could hardly wait another second longer to be in the house and see his uncle. All his memories of the summers he’d spent here came rushing back at the sight of foothills in the distance and the stables beyond the house and the wood burned sign engraved with his family’s heritage, County Westmeath brought to the heart of Colorado in the form of his uncle’s Irish Gypsy Horses.

Before the SUV was even at a complete halt, Niall jumped from the car and took a deep breath, arms spread wide. All the stress of a world tour faded away into the mountain air as he stepped onto his uncle’s ranch. 

He barrelled into the house without bothering with the doorbell or a knock at the door, crashing into Louis’ outstretched arms. Over Louis’ shoulder he saw his uncle and beyond him at the large wooden table with a full dinner spread across it, Meg. 

“Hey, Uncle Hank! Good to see you!”

And then he was wrapped up in his uncle’s arms and lifted off his feet in a bear hug that reminded Niall of being a little boy and the excitement of spending his summer vacations with his favorite person. He’d nearly forgotten Greg, but then there he was hauling in Niall’s bags and suitcases and winking at Louis. 

He hadn’t caught what Greg had said but he heard Louis’ name in there somewhere. “Stop hitting on my friends, Greg! Saw you looking at his ass.”

Greg shrugged, clearly not perturbed at all at being caught out as he walked back out to the SUV for Niall’s equipment.

“He did wink at me,” Louis said.

“Mhm. I knew it.”

Greg was a good guy, or at least he was when he knew him years ago, but he was definitely not the guy for Louis. Louis was just—special. He wasn’t just a friend, and he wasn’t just a songwriting partner. Meeting Louis was like meeting his musical soulmate. And with that came an understanding between them that other people couldn’t possibly understand. 

Louis needed stability. He craved it. Niall could read it between the lines of his lyrics and in the heartbeat of the music that flowed out of him. They’d been on the road together long enough and Louis had been on the road long before that with other artists, too, to know whether it’s the life for you or not. He knew Louis was about done with it even if Louis didn’t know it himself yet.

Hence this little getaway he had cooked up.

“Don’t be getting any ideas, Gregory. Lou’s here to work, not play.” He grabbed Louis by the arm and dragged him towards the dining table.

Meg placed an extra table setting and wiped her eyes with the pack of her hands. “Lovely having you here, Niall. Been so long since you’ve had a visit.”

Niall’s heart welled up with emotion. He decided right then and there that he would never stay away this long again no matter what his career was doing. Over dinner and Irish whiskey, he felt the weight of his responsibilities slide right off his shoulders and into the huge stone fireplace, going right up in smoke. 

Louis explained what he’d been doing while he waited for Niall to arrive and had Niall hooting with laughter as he described getting a drone stuck in the neighbor’s tree. Sounded like Hank’s neighbor was a bit of a hard ass.

“Tsk, settle down boys.”

“Meg, there’s no one but that dickhead Harry guy for miles!” Niall insisted between Louis’ hiccups.

Hank cleared his throat. “Now, now. Harry’s a good boy. Takes good care of his animals.”

Niall turned to Louis. “Uncle Hank only cares about how you treat your horses, not how you treat people.”

“I’m just sayin’ that Harry’s had to shoo any number of tabloid photographers off his land. Though it hasn’t been much of a problem in some time. Spose he thought it was happening again.”

Louis blinked a few times and asked, “Photographers?”

“Wait, who are we talking about?” Niall asked. “Who is Harry?

“Well, I never saw him in nothing, but then I don’t think I was his target audience,” Hank began as he sipped his whiskey. “I don’t go see too many movies anyway.”

“Harry’s an actor?”

“Was one, yeah. Name’s Harry Styles.”

“HARRY STYLES?” He and Louis said the name in unison turning to each other in astonishment.

“Guess you’ve heard of him then.”

“Uh,” Louis said. “Yeah.”

Niall couldn’t stop the howl of laughter that came from his chest. Oh, Louis, meeting a famous movie star and managing to piss him off and not even know who it was. Typical Louis really. “You met Harry Styles and didn’t even know it!”

“He was wearing a cowboy hat!”

“You climbed Harry Styles’ tree, and he told you to get off his property!” He threw himself back on the couch laughing harder than he’d laughed in forever. “Can't believe you met Harry Styles of all people.”

“So what? He was still a dickhead about everything. He almost destroyed your drone.”

The travel and the laughter and to be completely honest probably the liquor had him exhausted now as he threw an arm over his face. “Jesus, Uncle Hank, can’t believe you’ve been living next door to Harry Styles, and no one even knew.”

“Would have probably told ya if I’d known you’d think it was such a big deal.”

“A big deal? Yeah, it’s not everyday you find out that the biggest child star ever fucked off to live on a horse ranch next to your uncle.”

“Horse rescue, actually,” Hank said. “Well, horses and Lacey, of course.”

“Lacey?”

“The goat. Not sure why he’s just got the one goat. Never asked. She’s a handful though.”

He yawned and uncovered his eyes. “Can’t believe all you care about are horses and goats, Uncle Hank. I guess it makes sense now that Harry’d be so paranoid about the drone.”

Niall remembered an awful lot of tabloid headlines about Harry a few years back. It had been a big deal that teen hearthrob Harry was gay, he knew that much. And it had been an even bigger deal that he scored some of his biggest movie roles before leaving LA never to be heard from again.

Louis mumbled something about Harry being paranoid. “Could have apologized when he realized I was just, you know—”

“A dumb ass stuck in his tree?”

“Shut up, Neil. I wasn’t stuck. I was coming down just fine.” Louis paused. “Huh, wonder if the other cowboy guy was his boyfriend.”

“Shawn? Nah, he’s a local boy. Kind of fell into the job and Harry’s decent at rescuing people and not just horses, I’d reckon.”

Niall was only half listening now, his eyelids drooping. “Fuck, I’m tired. I’m gonna head to bed and nobody wake me up. It’s been fun but I don’t want to talk to anybody until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.”

He stumbled into the room that had always been his and face planted on the bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Niall spent half of his first full day in Colorado dead asleep. 

Being on tour meant he was constantly on an adrenaline high to keep his energy up. It seemed to have caught up with him. After Meg made him a late breakfast that he ate for lunch, he flipped on the Golf Channel and set to work unpacking the boxes of his belongings that he’d sent on ahead. 

He felt a deep sense of satisfaction at having his room arranged nicely. Might as well, seeing as how he intended for them to stay put for at least a few months or however long it took he and Louis to write his next album. 

By the time Louis came to check on him before dinner, he was half asleep on the bed, Rory McIlroy putting on the tv screen. He glanced at Louis just before he braced for impact as Louis dove on top of him.

“Wake up, Neil!”

He let out a screech and tried to wrestle Louis off of him just as Meg appeared at his door. 

“Our guests are here for dinner, if you’d like to come out and join them for a drink. Or I suppose you could stay in here and scream at the top of your voices first. Should I perhaps tell them the commotion was music related?”

“More like ‘Tommo’s an idiot’ related,” he mumbled. Fuck, his head hurt from where Louid had accidentally head butted him. And he’d completely forgotten Hank mentioning having Harry and his co-worker over for dinner tonight. 

“I think Meg was judging us.”

He snorted. “You think?”

Niall yawned and scratched his belly as they made their way into the living room, Louis shoving him for no reason as if they were ten years old. Fine, he maybe shoved back. In any case, they made a rather unimpressive entrance to Sunday dinner. 

Standing there next to the table was of course, Harry Styles looking like he just stepped off a movie set, but that’s not where his eyes landed and stayed. Next to Harry was the single hottest man he’d ever seen in his life. 

Something odd was happening to him as he stared at this man. His brain made a whooshing sound in his ears as he stood, struck dumb at the sight of worn cowboy boots, long legs encased in tight, black denim, and a t-shirt so thin his rock hard abs were visible. The only clothing that didn’t look straight out of his wet dreams was a dark blue shirt that was left unbuttoned. Scratch that, the shirt was so tight around the man’s biceps that Niall was fairly sure the seam might burst if he flexed. 

He swallowed as his eyes traveled over the broad shoulders and reached the tousled brown curls and bright smile. When their eyes met, it took everything in him not to let his jaw drop. At some point he realized people were speaking and he was suddenly confronted with the man’s large, outstretched hand reaching for his own. 

“Hi, I’m a big fan,” the man said, his eyes widening and his smile growing even larger as he clasped Niall’s hand.

He supposed there had been introductions that he’d missed while in his strange stupor. “Nice to meet ya,” he managed in a low murmur.

The man still had a hold of his hand though. He could feel the rough calluses on his palm, a man used to working with his hands. Fucking hell. His face heated uncomfortably. It would be a really bad idea to get hard in front of everyone in his fucking sweatpants. Get ahold of yourself, Horan.

The man finally released his hand as Harry Styles turned towards him. “Hi, I’m Harry. Not _Harold_ as your friend said. It’s nice to finally meet you. Hank talks about you often.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

They sat down to Meg’s dinner that was probably delicious, not that Niall would know. He ate it, but he couldn’t have told anyone what it was he was eating. He also had not even the slightest clue what anyone talked about at dinner. Horses probably. Instead, he tried his best to stop staring at the man across the table from him. Especially because everytime he glanced at him, his warm brown eyes were looking right back. 

It wasn’t as if Niall wasn’t used to stares. He was probably one of the most recognizable musicians in the world. He just wasn’t used to wanting to stare back, and it was a little frustrating to be honest. 

Meg stood up from the table. “Shawn, would you like any more pot roast?”

“Sure, Meg. It’s delicious.” The man smiled up at Meg. The dimples creasing his cheeks made Niall’s chest tighten.

Wait. Shawn. The man’s name was Shawn. And apparently they were eating pot roast. 

“So what made you decide to come visit Hank?” 

Finally, a reason to look at Shawn. Was that a small scar on his handsome face? Shit. What was the question? 

“Oh just—came off my world tour and thought maybe I needed someplace I could relax a bit.”

“Sold out world tour.” Louis nudged him. Okay, apparently his interest in Shawn was not subtle if Louis had already picked up on it.

He tried to get ahold of himself and just put on a friendly smile. “Well, thought I’d invite Lou here to come with me and see if we can’t write the next album while we’re here. Louis wrote about half of the last album with me, and I decided I definitely wanted to take my sound in his direction.”

He got a pat on the shoulder from Louis. “And I’m very happy you did.”

“I’m sure your bank account will be very happy, too.”

Louis laughed. “You know it.”

When he glanced back at Shawn, he could see the bright interest on his face. Fuck, was this guy really an open book? Is this what men in Colorado were like? Maybe he’d been in LA too long and with the types of people who would never dream of wearing their hearts on their sleeves. 

  
  
  


Niall sat in front of his uncle’s big screen TV as he watched Justin Rose make a chip shot up onto the green. He was in an odd transition time, and his brain hadn’t quite flipped from the excitement and adrenaline of being on tour to the absolute stillness of Westmeath Gypsy Stables. 

Not that there wasn’t a tune in his head. As soon as he was somewhere where he could hear himself think, there was always a new tune simmering in his head, just waiting for more inspiration. 

Louis seemed to be crawling out of his skin waiting for Niall to come up with something to work on, but he continued to ignore him and took a drink of his beer. He couldn’t rush it. There wasn’t any point in trying to write a song when he had nothing to write about. He wasn’t an asshole who wrote about being some famous pop star. No, he just had to wait until something happened.

“Niall, love? Do you want some lemonade?”

He stood up from the couch and stretched his arms up and over his head before wandering over towards the huge kitchen island. “Sure, Meg. Love some.” 

Meg pulled out a large glass decanter of lemonade, lemon slices, and what looked like sprigs of rosemary floating in it. Niall was used to some of the finer things in life after being a famous musician for the last five years, but this felt like something more. Meg put love and care into every little thing she did.

She poured it over ice and handed the glass to him, which he quickly took a sip of. “Delicious,” he said, smacking his lips.

Meg patted his cheek just like she always did, just like he was still all of eleven years old. “Anything for you.”

“Uncle Hank’s a lucky man. He better watch that I don’t steal you away from him.”

She just smiled and shook her head. 

Niall took his lemonade out onto the back patio just in time to see Louis dragging a reluctant goat along the fence line towards Harry’s property. Odd. He settled onto a lounge chair and pulled his sunglasses over his eyes. 

The tune was still there. It was almost time to get his guitar out and try to put it into the strings, but there was a piece missing still. He sighed and took another sip of his lemonade. 

Louis appeared, dust and dirt all over his clothes from taking the goat home.

“Saw you had some trouble with a goat over there.”

“You saw that?” Louis demanded. “Why didn’t you help me?”

Niall shrugged. “Looked like you were handling the situation.”

“You _just_ said you saw I was having trouble.”

He took another sip instead of answering.

“Well, I delivered the goat back over to Harry’s and got an eyeful of Shawn shirtless and sweaty, so maybe I’m still the winner here.”

The mental image of what Louis must have seen flashed into his head as he accidentally sucked the lemonade in his mouth into his lungs enough to cause a coughing fit. “Swallowed wrong.”

“Mhm, swallowed your tongue?” Louis’ demeanor suddenly changed and a smirk flitted over his face before he turned to walk towards the door. “Anyway, he asked about you.”

Niall turned so quickly towards him that he fell right off the lounger onto the patio. “Wait! What’d he say? Louis!”

Fuck. What would Shawn have asked Louis? And whatever the question was, how did Louis answer it? As he sat back up on the lounger, he noticed something in the distance. Well, someone anyway. Someone riding a horse on Harry’s property. It could be Harry from this distance, or maybe it wasn’t. Either way, he decided to be neighborly and go say hello. 

When he reached the fence, it was obvious who was on horseback. Just when Niall had thought Shawn couldn’t get any hotter, now he was seeing him riding a horse with a cowboy hat on, and it was a lot to handle. 

It was fine. He took a cleansing breath. This was ridiculous. In the business he was in, he saw beautiful people all the fucking time. He could handle one very good looking cowboy in dusty jeans and a cowboy hat. Shawn waved, his smile carving dimples into his cheeks. Niall could barely contain a whimper. Nope, couldn’t handle this cowboy. 

He stepped closer to the fence as Shawn drew up alongside it on a brown horse. For having spent as much time as he had on this ranch, he didn’t know a whole lot about horses. Just never interested him that much especially after Hank put a stop to him naming any more horses after the Shamrock Shake fiasco. He was suddenly much more interested now.

“Hey,” Niall called out, nodding his head. “Nice horse.”

“Thanks. His name’s Talk Derby To Me.” Shawn’s grin never faltered, but Niall was thankful not to have lemonade to choke on. 

Niall coughed. “I—okay then.”

Shawn shrugged. “Harry names all the horses. He thinks it’s funny. Louis seemed to get a kick out of the name Harry Tale Horse Rescue.”

“Oh god.”

“Yeah, I thought it might be best not to tell him Harry’s horse is named Forrest Jump.”

Niall couldn’t help the long cackle that burst out of him. Shawn looked particularly pleased to have caused the laughter. 

“Um, I know you used to hang out here a lot with Hank back in the day, but—” Shawn stopped and chewed on his bottom lip. 

Niall had no idea where Shawn was going with this. “Yeah?”

“Ever been to Stoneyard?”

“Can’t say I have. What is it?”

Shawn wiped the back of his neck. “It’s um—a distillery. Pretty cool place. I mean, not as cool as the stuff you’ve probably seen all over the world. Never mind, it’s probably not your kind of—”

“I’d love to check it out,” Niall interrupted.

“Great!” Shawn’s absurdly cute smile was back. “I could take you there sometime. Like maybe Friday or something. I’ve got the day off then.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Could use someone to show me around since I’ll be sticking around here for a while.”

“Well, I can definitely help you out with—”

“So Shawn, did you figure out how your goat became an escape artist?” Louis’ voice cut through the conversation, startling them both with Niall nearly falling over an exposed root. 

“Yeah, I rode the fence line and found some rotted wood she busted through, so I put up something temporary to keep her from sneaking onto Hank’s ranch. Thanks again for bringing her back.”

“No problem.” Louis seemed to be eying them both suspiciously. “Well, anyway, I’m just gonna go talk to Liam about getting some riding lessons. See you around.”

“I should probably finish riding the fence line now. Don’t want to miss anything and have the goat escape again.”

Niall nodded. “Yeah, of course. See you Friday then.”

“Looking forward to it.” Shawn flashed another bright smile and turned his horse away from the fence.

As he walked back towards the house, the tune returned, louder this time, and more crucially there were ideas for an actual song forming, too. Part of him wanted to run into the house to snatch up his guitar and not lose any of this, but he let it simmer slowly instead of boil over. Humming, he walked into the house, waved at Meg and went to grab his guitar.

By the time Louis walked onto the back patio, Niall had run through what he had of the melody a few times. He could see the relief on Louis’ face just at the sight of the guitar in his hands. 

Niall grinned. “So are we writing songs or what? Go get your guitar?”

Louis scurried into the house and was back just as quickly, guitar in hand. “Got any ideas yet?”

“Mm. Yeah, got a bit of a tune that’s been stuck in my head for a few days.”

“I know. I’ve heard you humming it.”

Niall let out a caw of laughter as Louis began playing the tune he’d thought only lived in his head. “Didn’t even know I was humming it out loud to be honest. But yeah, that’s it. I was just thinking that maybe the song’s about when you meet someone interesting, and you just like everything about them. And you just want to do something to get their attention.”

“Hmm. Okay.” They played what they had a few times through and then Louis stopped, a sideways smile creeping over his face. _“Nice to meet ya, what’s your name?”_

_“Let me treat ya to a drink.”_

Louis raised his eyebrows at that, but Niall didn’t elaborate. 

_“I like the way you talk, I like the things you wear.”_

There was a zero percent chance Louis didn’t know who this song was about, although how did he know Niall liked the way Shawn talked. Lucky guess probably.

Niall glanced down at the tattoos scattered across Louis’ arm. “I want your number tattooed on my arm in ink, I swear.”

Louis cackled. “Bullshit.”

Niall just shrugged. Maybe he wouldn’t tattoo Shawn’s number onto his skin, but he was really regretting not asking for it today. 

  
  


Where the fuck was Louis when he needed him? Seemed like every time he turned around he was mucking around in the stables. He never would have taken Louis for a horse guy, but whatever.

He stood in front of the full length mirror wondering if he was wearing something appropriate for a distillery tour. “Okay Nialler, white shirt to show off the tan, check. Wait wait, short sleeves, short sleeves.”

He rifled through the shirts hanging in his closet. “Okay, good good. Short sleeves. Don’t want to sweat all over him. Bonus, show off the guns.”

“Shorts? Too casual. Jeans? Maybe. Blue slacks. Too dressy? Eh, gonna go with blue. Gotta match the eyes, don’t I?” He did finger guns at the mirror and then with one more quick ruffle of his hair, he noted the time and headed out the door and started walking down his uncle’s long driveway. He didn’t have to go far before an old red pick up truck rumbled down the drive towards him, stopping with plenty of space between them.

Shawn hopped out of the truck with a smile so infectious that Niall couldn’t help but smile back. “Hi, Niall!”

“Hey.” He waved and suddenly felt awkward about his wave. Jesus. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt awkward. Not one of his natural states really.

Not that it mattered when Shawn came plowing into him with a hug. Okay then. This was fine. His face smushed into the hard planes of Shawn’s chest, and he smelled the clean scent of whatever laundry detergent he used before he was released back down to the ground as though he’d be able to stand up properly after a hug like that. Shawn opened the passenger door, and Niall managed to climb into the truck without falling over. 

The truck rumbled down the road and out onto the highway. Shawn had the windows open and the dry wind blew through their hair. He tried to keep his hair in place, but it was a lost cause. 

The radio played the local pop station, but Niall could only make out the occasional sounds of The Weeknd or Halsey, a bit too loud for conversation with the windows down and the roar of an old muffler. Niall smiled to himself though. It had been quite some time since he’d sat in anything other than a luxury vehicle. He found he didn’t mind the bumps in the road though, especially not with the company he was keeping.

He glanced over at Shawn and accidentally captured his attention. Shawn shot him a grin. Was this guy the happiest guy on earth or what? He watched as Shawn’s eyes crinkled up as he started singing along to a Post Malone song that Niall could barely make out on the radio, but he was pretty sure he liked Shawn’s version better anyway. 

A small flutter started in his stomach at the thought of Shawn singing along to one of his songs on the radio. He’d said he was a fan after all. If “Slow Hands” came on the radio right now, he might pass out if Shawn suddenly sang some of those lyrics back at him. So maybe he was better off that it didn’t come on by the time they reached the distillery. 

The distillery appeared out of nowhere, nestled in between the mountains and the highway and well out of town. Long outbuildings flanked the main entrance and parking lot, and Niall curiously looked about at it all, when he realized something. There were no cars parked in the parking lot.

“Is anyone even here? Is it closed?”

Shawn’s smile never lifted. “It’s not open today.”

“Um, okay.”

Shawn took his hand as they walked up to the door. It took Niall by surprise, both Shawn’s easy assurance and his own comfort with it. Shawn released it though when he knocked at the locked door.

Through the glass door, he could see two yellow Labs skittering to the door, barking a greeting at them. 

“Hi, boys! Go get Ed, will ya?”

“Yeah, yeah. Hold on a sec.” The voice behind them made Niall jump. He supposed this must be Ed who cut quite the striking figure with a red beard so long he’d braided parts of it. Ed unlocked the door and ushered them inside.

The dogs continued barking their greetings until Ed shooed them out of the tasting room and out the door. “Sorry about that. Don’t know where Charlie’s gone off to, but he should have taken his damn dogs with him. So what are you boys up for? A flight?”

“Yep!” Shawn said. “Niall’s never been to a distillery, so a flight’s the way to go, I think.”

“Never? Well, then, let me show you around the place.”

They followed Ed into the large adjoining area, filled with metal stills and tanks. “Now, Neil—this distillery sits atop a four thousand year old lava flow from the Dotsero Volcano. Know why that’s important? Of course you don’t. It has to do with the water, Neil. It’s all in the water.”

“Oh, um, my name’s not—”

“Neil, that's not important! You know what _is_ important?”

“The water?”

“No, the beet sugar, Neil. _That’s_ what’s important.”

“Er, okay.” He turned to Shawn, who just grinned at him. Surely his face must hurt with how much smiling he did. Maybe his face muscles were used to it. 

“Colorado’s finest sugar. We pour it one bag at a time.” Ed whirled around towards one of the pieces of equipment. “This here is the kettle. Her name is Cupcake, and she was rescued from a Hostess Factory. Converted into a still by our master distiller. Our spirits are handcrafted and all hand bottled at 6,242 feet.”

Shawn started applauding. “You’re getting better! A lot less rude this time. You forgot the parts about the lava rock and the barrels.” 

“God _damn_ it! The motherfuckin’ barrels. How the hell did I forget the barrels when they’re right fucking in front of me?” Ed waved at the large barrels that were indeed right fucking in front of him.

“Not sure, bro. You’ll get ‘em next time.”

“Yeah. Next time.” Ed sighed and scratched at his beard. “So—ready for that flight?” 

After a tasting flight of five spirits and multiple cocktails, there was no way any of them were in any condition to do anything besides laugh hysterically at every story any of them told. The dogs barking was Niall’s only indication that someone else had walked into the tasting room. 

“Hey, Charlie.” Shawn waved from where he’d rested his head on the bar. “This is my—Niall. This is my Niall. Isn’t he wonderful?”

The sentiment was kind of nice except for the odd hiccup thrown in. 

“Is that right?” Charlie asked. “Nice to meet you, Niall. This is my place Shawn and Ed have got you drunk in. I’m guessing you boys need a ride back to town.”

“Mm. Yeah. Probably?” Shawn asked from his face’s spot on the bar. “Want me to call Harry?”

“Nah, I’ll drive ya back in your truck. Been meaning to drop in on Hank anyway. I’ll bring him a bottle of something and make him drive me back.”

Niall didn’t remember much of the drive back. But as they climbed out of the truck, a huge black curly dog immediately came to say hello, following them up and into Shawn’s small house. 

Shawn glanced around the room. “Oh no. Where’s the water?”

“I don’t know.” Niall collapsed into the couch and giggled as the black dog jumped up and licked his face. 

Stumbling over the couch, Shawn grabbed his hands and pulled him up. “Come on. I bet Harry’s got water. We’ll just go get some.”

“Okay.” They made their way towards the larger house past Shawn’s with the dog alongside them. Shawn had a firm grip on his hand, but he walked too fast and Niall felt like he was being nearly dragged. As they made it into Harry’s house, nearly falling as Shawn pulled him across the threshold and banged the door open. 

It took a minute for either of them to realize Harry and Louis were both sitting in the living room. 

“Lou, whatcha doin’ here?” He nearly fell over the dog as he staggered into the living room with Shawn’s arm wrapped around him. Shawn was laughing really hard, but he wasn’t sure why.

“I fell off a horse. Are you drunk? What are you doing here?”

Niall tried to ask a question, but then just nodded when he couldn’t remember what it was. “Distillery tour! Best first date ever!”

Shawn dragged him into the kitchen, grabbing multiple water bottles, before they stumbled back towards the door. 

“Thanks for the water, Harry!” Shawn said, holding up the bottles. “Couldn’t find mine!”

“Did you check your refrigerator?”

Shawn put a finger to his chin. Niall wanted to press his fingertip into that little indent there. Or maybe even his tongue. 

“No, I don’t think I did. I’ll go check again!” 

Niall passed out sometime after they drank another bottle of wine. When he woke up he was alone in bed, finding Shawn passed out on his couch. Niall’s head pounded, but he managed to scribble a few words on a post it note and stuck it to Shawn’s forehead before he walked back to Hank’s, the sun already shining.

  
  


A few days passed without a word from Shawn before Niall decided that was long enough to wait for him to use the number he’d left on that post it note. He’d made it nearly to the gate when the phone in his pocket buzzed.

An unknown number had texted him. 

_Hi this is Shawn_

_Shawn Mendes. except i don't know that i ever told you my last name?_

_From next door._

_Next door to your uncle Hank’s I mean_

_I had fun the other night with you. I hope you did too_

_Except for the hangover which i hope wasn’t too bad for you_

Dots indicating that Shawn was going to keep going with this slightly awkward texting appeared on the screen, so Niall typed in a text before he could say anything more.

_Hey i’m at the gate. Let me in._

The gate buzzed, and Niall let himself in as Shawn emerged from his house and strode towards him. Fuck, he was so hot with that cowboy hat on. Honestly, he could hardly believe how turned on he was by cowboy hats. 

“Um—”

“So—”

Niall stopped talking and gestured for Shawn to continue. 

Shawn cleared his throat. “So the distillery probably wasn’t the best idea for a first date.”

“Oh, well, it was pretty cool actually. What I remember of it anyway.”

“Right.” Shawn frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “We both drank way too much. So I’ve been thinking, which is why I hadn’t called yet. And what I was thinking was just—if you give me another chance, maybe I could take you on a picnic.”

“Oh, uh—sure. Sounds fun. When did you—”

“Tonight. I mean, if you’re free.”

Niall smiled until the creases between Shawn’s eyes relaxed. “I’m all yours.”

When Niall arrived at the gate, he could see Shawn sitting on his front steps in black jeans and a short sleeve silk shirt. He jumped up and strode towards the gate before Niall could even call out to him.

“Hi.” Shawn’s infectious smile was back, and even though it hadn’t been gone long, Niall had missed it. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks, so do you.” Niall took a nice long look. “So where are you taking me on this picnic then?

A determined look crossed Shawn’s face. “I have everything set up out in the back of Harry’s property, and I’ve got our food right there in the basket on the porch. But before we go, I just want you to know this is a do-over.”

“A do-over?”

“Yes. This is our first date. And it’s going to be perfect. We’ll just pretend the distillery date never happened.”

Niall pressed his lips together to stifle any laughter. It was clear Shawn was being serious. “Okay. I can agree to that.”

“Now, let’s get any paperwork out of the way.” Shawn crossed his arms over his chest.

“Paperwork?”

“Yeah, like an NDA or whatever. I had to sign one to work for Harry. I want to sign yours, so you know I’m not going to sell you out.”

“Oh. Uh, I don’t have one?”

“You don’t have one with you, or you don’t ever make your dates sign one?”

“Both?”

“Niall! That’s very irresponsible!”

Laughter slipped out now. “Sorry! If it makes you feel any better, I think my PA has them sign something usually. But I sent her to Fiji on vacation, so no paperwork I guess. And I mean, you work for Harry Styles. It’s clear you can keep a secret.”

Shawn sighed. “Okay, well. When you can get a hold of the paperwork, please let me sign it as soon as possible.”

Niall nodded. “Sure.”

A bit more ease crossed Shawn’s face as he took Niall’s hand and led him back to the porch where the wicker picnic basket waited. He picked it up and then led them on a walk through Harry’s property, pointing out the sights. The stables, Lacey the goat, the curly dog from before named Lissie, the tree Louis crashed his drone into. 

A bit of red caught his eye and Niall realized it was a large plaid picnic blanket, weighted down by a series of candles poured into glass Ball canning jars. Shawn released his hand to set down the basket and take out a lighter, lighting each of the candles. 

Niall raised his eyebrows. “Romantic.”

Shawn scrunched his nose. “Well, I’d like to take all the credit for the romance of it, but it’s actually practical. They’re citronella candles. We’ll get eaten alive by mosquitos otherwise.”

He let out a short bark of laughter before settling onto the blanket. Shawn just grinned and settled in, too, before opening the large basket and pulling out a bottle of wine and two stemless glasses. 

“What should we drink to?” Shawn asked as he poured them each a small glass.

“To a starlit night.” Niall took the glass and raised it.

“Always the songwriter.” Shawn’s eyes shone in the dim light as he raised his glass to Niall’s. “To a starlit night.”

Niall had to admit he was impressed by the spread Shawn had brought. Fruit and cheese, crackers and a baguette, finger sandwiches, and brownies. They ate first before Shawn poured them another glass of wine.

Niall took a sip and stared out towards where the mountains lurked in the darkening sky. “I’ve always loved it here.”

“Yeah? You came here a lot as a kid, I guess.”

“Yeah, I did. Used to spend every summer out here with Uncle Hank and Meg. Been years since I’ve been here though.”

“Why’d you stop coming?”

Niall huffed out a breath. “Been busy. And yeah, I could have made more time, I suppose. But Hank always came to Denver when I had a show, and I guess I told myself that was enough.”

“He talks about you a lot. But in a way that an uncle talks about his favorite nephew, you know? Took me weeks to figure out that his musician nephew was actually Niall Horan.”

Niall snorted. “Hank’s not impressed much by my success.”

“No, but he’s proud as hell of you.”

“Yeah, but he wishes I was more into horses.”

“Maybe,” Shawn grinned. 

Niall cocked his head to one side. “I’m just remembering what Hank said about you that first night I got in. He really thinks highly of you.”

Shawn shrugged and gave him a sly, sideways grin. “Yeah, well—I’m pretty into horses, so—”

Niall cackled. “I swear, between this and the date-that-shall-not-be-named, I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.”

A look of delight crossed Shawn’s face. “You think I’m funny?”

“Yeah, I mean we’ve been laughing a lot wouldn’t you say?”

“Sure, but no one around here thinks I’m funny.”

“What? Really?” 

“Nah. It’s a small town. Everyone’s known me since I was born. It’s part of why I like working for Harry. He doesn’t treat me like—my path in life is already set. Like I’m going to just stay here forever and take over my dad’s business.” Shawn cleared his throat. “Sorry, didn’t mean to lay all that out there.”

“Don’t apologize. I might know a thing or two about not doing what’s expected of you.”

“Like coming out live at the Grammy Awards after you won Best Album?”

Niall snorted. “Yeah, like that. Ah, good times. Pretty sure all the record execs in the audience pissed themselves. And I could hear Louis laughing that insane laugh of his in the audience even over all the gasping.”

“For real?”

“Have you ever heard the man laugh? He actually says the words _haha_ when he laughs. He’s loud as fuck, too.”

Shawn collapsed into giggles. “I’m not surprised he’s loud.”

“Anyway, all I meant was, I’d be happy to hear whatever’s on your mind, and I promise whatever plans you have for your life, almost nothing is as out there as my plans were.”

A flush crept over Shawn’s face and sat high on his cheeks. “I’ve been saving money for a while now. Harry lets me live here for free, so my only expenses are my truck and food really. He’s the only person I’ve even told this to, but I just planned on traveling for a while. Sounds kind of stupid to say I want to see the world, but it’s really my only goal.”

Warmth filled his chest at this gorgeous man’s bashful admission that he wanted to see the world. “I think I know that feeling quite well.”

“I guess you probably do.” A pleased look crossed Shawn’s face. “Harry’s been really nice about sending me after any horses he’s bringing back to the ranch. So the last few years I’ve been able to see a lot more of the west coast. But yeah, I’ve been saving for a real trip. I want to be able to spend at least a year traveling.

“Well, I think that’s amazing, Shawn. I really do. Traveling as much as I have is a transformational experience. You’re going to have a great time. I’m sure of it.”

As the sun set, the crystal clear sky faded into darkness lit only by the stars and the candles surrounding them. After another glass of wine, the bugs were a bit too much for them, so they packed up the picnic and headed back towards Shawn’s small house. When he slipped his arm through Shawn’s, he heard the sharp intake of breath and smiled to himself.

When they reached the door, Shawn fumbled for his keys, dropping the basket as his feet. Niall put his hand over Shawn’s and pulled him closer. An overwhelming feeling had washed over him. The kind that Niall knew to never ignore. It was the same one that had told him to play that open mic night in Nashville, the same one that had told him to change his sound, the same one that told him Louis was his songwriting soulmate. 

He brushed his hands over the silken front of Shawn’s shirt and grasped it as he lifted his face to Shawn’s. The keys clattered to the wooden planks of the porch as Niall was suddenly gathered into Shawn’s arms and into a heated kiss like nothing he’d ever experienced before. 

Niall had kissed his fair share of people. He’d had tentative first kisses, sloppy drunken ones, expertly plotted ones. But none like this. No one had ever devoured him like this. Shawn’s soft lips swept over his again and again as though wild horses couldn’t drag him away. 

When Shawn finally released him, he felt unsteady on his feet. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Shawn’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He picked up the keys and opened the door. “Um—do you want to come inside? Not to do anything more, but just—I don’t want the night to end.”

“Me either.” Shawn took his hand and Niall followed him inside.

  
  


Niall wandered into the living room to find Louis with his nose practically pushed against the huge windows. He rolled his eyes. He needed just one guess as to what or rather who Louis was watching like a weirdo.

He snuck up close behind him before speaking. “Whatcha looking at, Tommo?”

Louis jumped. “What? Nothing. The mountains. The horses. Nothing.”

“Yeah, sounds like nothing. Lemme see.” He looked out the window and predictably there was Harry in the distance with a bunch of kids. Must be the therapeutic horseback riding thing. “Well, I do see mountains and horses. Also see a good looking cowboy out there. Maybe one who can carry your ass and sprained ankle across a horse ranch.”

Clearly, Louis’ fall and subsequent afternoon spent at Harry’s had him thinking about Harry as more than some asshole movie star.

“Oh, is Shawn out there?” Louis pretended to look back out the window searching for him.

He snorted. “Shawn better not be carrying you around.”

“And why not?” Louis’ eyebrow raised to the ceiling, but he wore a pleased smile on his face. 

“Because.” He shrugged, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face just at the thought of Shawn. Jesus, he had it bad already for him.

“Interesting. You really like him.”

“What’s not to like?”

“Fair point. He is pretty hot.”

Something rose up in his chest. “He’s more than just hot.”

“Is he now? You’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”

“Yeah, he’s just—” Niall thought for a moment. There was just too much to say and yet he was afraid to give voice to everything at the same time. “Different than most people I meet.”

“I could see that.”

He took a deep breath. This was Louis after all. Louis whom he trusted with every fiber of his being. “It feels like I can just be myself with him. And he doesn’t have any kind of agenda with me. Did you know he actually asked to sign an NDA? I didn’t bring it up, but he had signed one to work with Harry. Said he wanted me to feel comfortable that he wouldn’t sell me out.”

“Wow, okay. That’s pretty cool of him.”

Now that he’d opened the floodgates, his thoughts couldn’t be stopped. “You know how everywhere you go and everyone you meet, you just feel—judged?”

Louis snorted. “That’s LA for you.”

He just shook his head. “Yeah, he’s not like that. And he said he felt the same about me. That he felt like he could be open with me in a way that’s different than with all these people he’s known his whole life. They all have preconceived notions about him, too. Funny how we have that in common.”

“That’s really nice, Ni.”

“Yeah. Could maybe write a song about it.”

Holed up in his bedroom, he and Louis continued working out the song. The chorus worked well, and Niall sang out the words written down in front of him. “When you’re with me, no judgement. We can get that from everyone else.”

Louis grinned and sang the next line. “And we don’t have to prove nothing. When you’re with me, no judgement.” 

The verses really needed some work though.

Louis chewed on his lip a bit and then peppered him with questions, trying to come up with some lyrics that worked. “Why were you barefoot?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I was drunk. You saw me. I think the wine was the weirder part. Why didn’t we drink the liquor we bought from the distillery?”

“True. But I think the line works. Sets the scene pretty well for a first line.”

“Yeah, I felt comfortable with him even then.” Niall smiled at the memory of them stumbling into Harry’s house after that first date that Shawn wanted to pretend never happened. “Barefoot and a bottle of wine. You can stay with me tonight. You don’t have to change when I’m around you. So go ahead and say what’s on your mind.”

Louis pulled up a beat to go with their guitars, and they worked through the tempo until it sounded right. Recording it took longer until it was as good as they could get it without being in a studio. A weight Niall hadn’t known he was carrying lifted a bit. Coming here really was a good idea. It was clear he and Louis were where they were supposed to be to create this album.

“Want a beer?”

Niall nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Louis grabbed beers from the fridge as Niall wandered further into the living room, plopping down on the couch. “Cheers.”

Louis tipped his beer to Niall’s. “So this thing is really happening isn’t it?”

Niall wasn’t sure if he meant the album or whatever was going on between him and Shawn. “Yeah, it is.”

Hank walked in from the stables, waking Niall out of his post songwriting daze. “Shit, I gotta take a shower!”

“Are you going somewhere?”

He jumped up from the couch. “Got a date with Shawn. Don’t wait up.”

Louis wiggled his eyebrows. “No judgement.”

With a cackle, Niall headed for the shower.

  
  


“Sushi?”

Shawn grinned. “You mentioned it was your favorite, so—”

He sat down at Shawn’s small table. “I did. Wouldn’t have expected any sushi places around here though.”

“Hey—of course, we do.”

Niall put his hands up in surrender. “No offense meant. 

Shawn laughed. “Nah, I just meant we have our fair share of hipsters who need their sushi.”

He gasped. “Are you calling me a hipster?”

Shawn shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips.

There were quite a variety of rolls placed out on plates, and it occurred to him how much Shawn had probably spent on this dinner. “Um—can I pay for half of this at least? I mean—”

Shawn frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. Niall wondered if he knew how good his arms looked like this. “I asked you on this date. I can pay.”

Well, this was both frustrating and adorable that Shawn wouldn’t let him, a multi-millionaire, pay for the damn sushi. “I know, but I just don’t want to take anything away from the money you’re saving up to travel.”

The look on Shawn’s face softened a little. “Thanks, but it’ll be awhile before I have enough to do that anyway. I can splurge once in a while for a good cause.”

“I’m a good cause, huh?”

“Good enough that I even bought saki.”

“Oh, I see how it is. Gonna get me drunk and have your way with me.” He fluttered his eyelashes.

Shawn frowned. “You know I wouldn’t. I mean, I did accidentally get you drunk on our first—I mean, on our non-date. But Niall, I’d never—”

“Calm down, cowboy. I was kidding.”

Shawn’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Right. Okay.”

“Maybe kidding is the wrong word. _Hoping_. Maybe hoping is the right word.” No one ever accused Niall of being subtle. 

Shawn’s eyes widened. “Uh—if that’s what you’re hoping for tonight, I’ll put all this sushi in the fridge and go straight to the saki.”

Niall pretended to think for a moment, a finger to his chin. “Hmm—on second thought, I don’t think I need saki to get in the mood. So you if you want to skip the saki and go straight to—”

Shawn turned around abruptly and stood facing away from him, hands gripping the sides of the sink, his head lowered. Fucking hell, his broad shoulders expanded with his breaths and made Niall want to whimper. “Christ, Niall.”

“What?”

Shawn swung back around to face him. “You come over here in those tight jeans and your shirt all—”

“What?”

“I can see your chest hair, Niall.”

“Uh, okay. Is that a bad thing or—”

“It’s taking a lot of willpower to keep from ripping your shirt open.”

“Oh.” Niall glanced down at his outfit. He couldn’t say that wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. He started unbuttoning his shirt.

Shawn froze. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t want you to tear the fabric. I like this shirt.”

“Niall—” Shawn’s voice was a warning, but no one ever accused Niall of not taking a dare either. 

“Better put the sushi in the fridge now, Shawnie. I’ll be hungry later.” He stood up and slipped the shirt off his shoulders, leaving it on the back of the chair as Shawn just stared at him, his mouth hanging open. When Niall reached for the button on his jeans, Shawn sprang into action, stacking the boxes of sushi in seconds and sprinting towards the fridge. 

Niall laughed and unzipped his jeans, sliding them down his thighs and stepping out of them until all he had on were a pair of tight black boxer briefs. He sauntered off down the hallway towards Shawn’s bedroom only making it halfway before he felt Shawn’s body pressed to his back, his lips at his neck and his hands slipping around his waist. 

They stumbled forwards towards the bedroom, walking more slowly so that Shawn could continue to kiss along Niall’s neck and shoulders, his hands roaming his body. Niall turned out of his arms as they entered the room to look into Shawn’s eyes, hooded with desire. “I think you’re a little overdressed.”

Shawn flung his shirt over his head and threw it to the ground. Niall stepped forward, grasping at his belt buckle to unfasten it, only to have his hand knocked away. “Don’t. I swear I’ll fucking come as soon as you touch me. Just—”

Shawn quickly fumbled at his button and zipper, tearing his jeans off. He hadn’t been kidding about touching him. He was large and hard in his boxers, and the look he gave Niall was scorching.

Niall backed up against the bed, sitting down and scooting back onto the soft pillows. His legs fell apart in an open invitation that Shawn accepted as he crawled up the bed directly between his thighs. Shawn nosed at his still clothed cock, and Niall dropped his head back with a groan.

He felt Shawn’s weight shift on the bed, but before he could even look, his boxers were tugged down and off his legs. When he did open his eyes, it was to the sight of Shawn’s lips closing around him. 

The wet heat of Shawn’s mouth had him moaning his name. “Shawn, fuck—feels so good. You feel so good.”

Shawn hummed in response, sending a wave of sparks through him as he bucked up into his mouth. An apology was on the tip of his tongue for his involuntary movement, but before he could say a word, Shawn’s large, calloused hands clamped down roughly on his thighs, pinning him to the bed. 

Niall could only whimper as Shawn’s tongue found the underside of his cock before dipping back down further and further, taking all of him in. Niall clutched at the sheets, balling them in his fists in a clearly futile attempt to keep from coming. When it became apparent that there was no stopping the response of his body, he gave in as he threaded his fingers through Shawn’s curls.

“I’m gonna—Shawn—I’m—”

The warning seemed only to goad Shawn into an even more frenzied rhythm until he was swallowing down around him as Niall came harder than he’d ever come in his life. When Shawn released him, Niall lay back on the pillows, panting. “Fucking hell.”

Shawn crawled back up his body and boxed him in, practically planking over him. What a show off.

“Good, huh?”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Niall groaned. “I can tell by the smirk on your face that you know exactly how good you are.”

Shawn collapsed to the side of him, laughing, his quite nice looking cock hard and leaking onto his rock hard stomach. Clearly, Niall would have to try his hardest to return the favor. He licked his lips in anticipation of getting his mouth on him, but Shawn stopped him before he could do any more than shift towards him.

“Could you—I mean—if you wouldn’t mind—”

“Sucking you off? I promise I’m already heading in that direction.”

“Um, no. Uh—”

Oh god, was this the point in the night where he found out that this seemingly normal and amazing guy was into some kind of kink Niall wasn’t prepared for? Was he about to pull out a whip or something? Costumes? Watersports?

“I’m not sure I’m ready for knowing your secret kinks yet.”

Shawn smiled. “I wanted to come in your hand, and um—wouldn’t say no to kissing you some more.” 

Shawn reached into his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of very normal looking lube. No handcuffs in sight. Handcuffs didn’t sound entirely bad now that he thought about it. Maybe he actually was ready to know Shawn’s kinks, should he have any. 

Niall grabbed the lube out of his hand and used a generous amount in his hand before grasping Shawn’s cock. They both watched, fascinated by the way Shawn bucked up into Niall’s fist. “Niall—god, Niall—so good—”

Whatever Shawn intended to say, they’d never know because if Shawn wanted kisses after giving him the best blow job of his life, then kisses were what he’d get. He captured Shawn’s lips, thrusting his tongue in time with the pull of his hand, swallowing down all of Shawn’s moans. 

It seemed that Shawn was just as eager as Niall, coming into his hand with a gasp.

When the sex haze finally began to abate, they cleaned themselves up enough to resume their sushi dinner in the kitchen. Even as they ate, Niall watched the way Shawn’s tongue licked up wasabi from the corner of his mouth and began thinking of when he might next be feeling that tongue again.

“So are you free this weekend?”

Shawn’s eyes darted to him. “Oh, um—kind of? I mean, there's a music festival I always go to, but I don’t have to go. We could do something instead if that’s an invitation. Netflix?”

“Oh, the music festival sounds fun. We should do that.”

“Really?” Shawn seemed incredulous.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Because—um, well, everyone will see us—see you. I mean, if you’re okay with that, I can always keep my hands to myself, and—”

“Shawn, what the fuck are you talking about? Are you not out or something?”

Shawn’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I’m out. I just thought maybe you’d—not want for everyone to see us together and start talking.”

“I don’t give a fuck who sees us. Honestly, I’d rather everyone see us and know you’re not single anymore.”

“I’m not?”

“Well, I guess that’s up to you, Shawnie. But I’d like to keep putting my dick in your mouth on a regular basis, so I’d say we’re together.”

Shawn covered his face with his hands. “I can’t believe you said it like that.”

Niall cackled. “Sorry. I’d like to keep your mouth free of any other dicks though. Can you be a Niallaterian? Just only suck one dick?”

Shawn nodded his head, his face still covered.

“Good, now should we invite Louis and Harry to the music festival? Maybe we can move along some of their sexual tension into something else.”

Shawn released his hands.

“Are you saying that Louis’ into Harry?” Shawn said it as if Harry hadn’t once been the most popular actor of his age group. Louis probably wanked to pics of Harry on a regular basis a few years back.

“Caught him spying on him out the window, so I’d say yes. You saying you don’t think it’s mutual?”

Shawn stretched his arms and stood up from the table, taking their plates. “Oh, it’s definitely mutual. Never seen Harry act like that before. He’s usually pretty polite with everyone, but Louis has him all off kilter somehow.”

“Yeah, I figured. Uncle Hank talks about Harry like he’s the second coming, so I figured there was something going on with how he was acting around Louis.”

A more serious look crossed Shawn’s face. “I think Harry’s definitely attracted to Louis. He almost can’t look away from him, but I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Harry doesn’t talk a lot about what his life was like before he came here, but I know he left behind a lot of heartbreak. I haven’t seen him date anyone.”

“Wait—ever? Like never goes on a date or never has a serious boyfriend?”

“Like never seen him with anyone ever. If he’s been with anyone here, he didn’t tell me. No hook ups. Nothing. I always thought maybe someday he’d trust somebody here enough to make a go of something. But I kind of doubt that he’d trust someone from LA. No offense.”

Niall snorted. “None taken, I guess.”

“Can we stop talking about Harry now? Doesn’t really put me in the mood.”

“Mood for what?” he asked with mock innocence. 

Shawn grinned. “Well, I’m a Niallaterian now, aren’t I? And I’m in the mood for dessert.”

Niall sat in the backseat of Harry’s Range Rover with Louis as a consolation for coercing him into going to a local music festival. Louis could be a bit of a snob when it came to festival line ups, but Louis really needed to get off the ranch once in a while. Or as he said to Louis, when a random goat starts falling in love with you, that’s when you know it’s time to leave the ranch for a bit.

He snorted at the thought of Harry’s small white goat following Louis around everywhere. 

“What?”

“Just thinking about you and that goat.”

“Shut up. Lacey is a really cool goat.”

“I can’t believe those words just came out of your mouth. Who are you? And what have you done with Tommo?”

Louis shrugged. “I’ve always liked animals.” 

“I guess.” Honestly, Colorado seemed to be invading Louis’ brain in an unexpected way. 

They parked and made their way into the small downtown area, absolutely crowded with people and vendors. He startled for a moment when Shawn took his hand, but he looked up at him with a smile. They were officially together and going public. Well, as public as Eagle, Colorado could offer. It had been a while since he’d done this, the whole relationship thing. And he was used to going public in magazines and on red carpets, but this felt more right than anything else ever had.

As they headed towards the stage, they stopped at booths and talked to various people who stopped Shawn to talk about his family or Hank or horses. He introduced him as Niall, but so far there haven’t been any sneaky pics or fans. Maybe they were more used to seeing a famous face around here than he’d thought.

He was so wrapped up in watching Shawn that they lost Harry and Louis on their way to the stage. They found a spot beneath an outdoor tent for the bar near the stage and figured they’d show up at some point. “I’ll go grab us some drinks.”

He scurried off before Shawn could insist on spending his hard earned money on alcohol. He grabbed them a couple beers and headed back to the corner of the tent where Shawn was waiting for him. The glow of the lamps illuminated Shawn’s face, and Niall stopped dead in his tracks. He really was a breathtakingly gorgeous man. He’d ask himself where his dream man had been all his life, but apparently he’d been hiding out in a small town in Colorado.

When his legs could move again, he made his way in front of him again. Shawn’s eyes sparkled in the dim light, mesmerizing him. It must have been written all over his face how much he was falling for this man because instead of taking one of the drinks, Shawn placed a hand at his jaw and began pressing soft kisses to his forehead and cheek and jaw before finally pressing his lips gently to Niall’s lips. 

Niall swayed on his feet, his eyes closed, as he leaned into the kiss. The band began to play, and the spell being woven between them unraveled. He nearly spilled their beers when Shawn pulled away, and his lips chased the empty air between them. He sent Shawn a smile that probably looked as ridiculous and lovesick as he felt, but he honestly didn’t care. 

It was then that he noticed that Louis and Harry had finally caught up with them. The music began, a band playing some bluesy rock tunes as people began dancing. They moved out a bit into the crowd, swaying and dancing a bit as much as they could while still clutching their beers. And while he was mostly focused on Shawn, he wasn’t completely unaware of the way Harry hovered over Louis. 

“I like their arrangements of this song!” Louis shouted to him.

Niall listened more carefully for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, you know I’ve been thinking about a song we can work on that I think could make a good transition for the album. Something in between the more uptempo stuff and the ballads.”

“Cool. Sounds good.” Louis’ voice caught as he answered, which is when Niall noticed Harry’s fingers right at Louis’ waist. Well, then. Something was definitely happening there.

The alcohol flowed with Shawn and Louis bringing back more drinks and shots. And when an Earth, Wind & Fire song started up, he and Louis looked at each other in surprise. Funk music wasn’t exactly what he was expecting here, but they whooped their delight in it all. 

Shawn twirled him with the music, and colors spun as he moved, clutching Shawn’s hand in his own. The next band had a singer whose voice was a dead ringer for Bruno Mars, and he giggled as Shawn sang to him as he pulled him close. _“When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change. ‘Cause you’re amazing. Just the way you are.”_

His laughter ended up swallowed up by kisses. And then Shawn’s mouth demanded his attention as everything else faded into the background.

As he and Louis sat around the fire pit the next night with their guitars, he felt that indescribable itch to get out the story inside him. But there was another itch now, too, one that had him longing to crawl back into Shawn’s arms. 

Maybe he’d never felt like this about anyone else and being with Shawn was something so very different than being with anyone else, but he knew enough about his songwriting to channel all of this. Louis had caught on to the tune quickly enough, so now it was just lyrics that needed working out.

“Do you think I should actually reference Bruno in this?”

“Yeah, I mean, why not? Kind of builds on the story a bit.” Louis thought for a moment as he strummed the chorus. _“We were dancing—dancing to Bruno—”_

He let out a cackle and finished the line, thinking of how Shawn had looked last night. _“And I couldn’t turn away from you.”_

_“I saw you smiling, breaking the silence. Telling me just what you want.”_

Niall’s eyes flew to Louis’ at that admission, but Louis didn’t elaborate. So he let his mind wander for a second. _“There in the moment, I was reminded. I haven’t felt this way in a while.”_

Louis smiled. They circled back to the chorus. “I really like the sleep-walk living line.”

“Relatable, huh?”

“Mm.”

“This is it, right?” Niall asked though he wasn’t really asking Louis. More like he was asking the universe. It all just felt like what they’d been searching for. 

“Yeah, I think this is it.”

They kept at it, singing until their voices rasped, capturing the spark that had been lit and turning it into something special. 


	2. Chapter 2

The Fourth of July bonfire was in full swing by the time Shawn and Niall walked through the backyard of one of Shawn’s friends, with Harry and Louis in tow. The smell of the grill made his stomach rumble, and Shawn directed them towards the tables on the deck piled with food.

The crowd was a bit younger than the one at the festival, and he noticed a lot more stares and whispers. It was only a matter of time before someone asked for a pic, so when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder, he put on his best fan face and said hello.

“Hey, Marcus,” Shawn interrupted before either of them could say a word. “Be cool, okay?”

Marcus nodded. “Nice to meet you. Loved the last album.”

“Thanks.” He stared at Shawn as he squirted ketchup on his burger. It wasn’t that he minded so much taking time for a fan. Sometimes, especially if he was with someone special, he just wished for a bit more privacy. He wasn’t entirely sure how Shawn knew that.

Niall put some salad on his place and grabbed a hot dog bun. They’d made it to some empty chairs set out a good way from the fire when a woman about their age approached. “Hey, Shawn.”

She immediately turned to Niall. “Wow, you’re really him.” 

“Um, yeah, I guess? Depending on who you think I really am.” Niall smiled.

“Yeah, and he’s here to have fun at a bonfire and watch some fireworks like everyone else here,” Shawn spoke up.

“Oh, right. Of course,” she said. “See you around!”

Niall set down his plate and then took Shawn’s from his hand. 

“What are—”

“I know what you’re doing, and it’s kind of nice to have someone being protective who isn’t paid to be protective over me.”

“Oh.” Shawn shrugged, but his cheeks flushed with color.

Niall stepped closer, winding his arms around Shawn’s neck and pulling him towards him. “I like it,” he whispered as he drew Shawn into a kiss. He hadn’t intended to be so open with his affections, at least not this publicly, but how could he help it when Shawn was this amazing?

The kiss seemed to attract the right kind of attention though. Shawn’s friends approached now and Ed showed up in a kilt and clapped him on the back so hard his beer sloshed into the grass. When the sky began to light up in bursts of color, they dragged their chairs into the front yard for a better view of the fireworks. 

With each pop of color gleaming in Shawn’s eyes, he found himself watching Shawn instead of the fireworks. 

Shawn turned to him with a smirk. Niall found he quite liked Shawn’s confidence. “I know you’re staring.”

“Wasn’t trying to hide it.”

Shawn just laughed and entwined their fingers together. When he looked back, the fireworks shone like lightning in his eyes. 

  
  


Over the next few days out on the patio, he and Louis wrote and discarded lyric after lyric for the song they were writing. They both knew this song had to be just right before they bothered recording it. 

“Probably the title track, I’m thinking,” Louis mused, staring down at the notebook on his lap.

“Yeah, I think so. We’ll see, I guess. Let’s go back to the first verse.”

Louis began playing, humming in the parts where lyrics were yet to exist. He stopped. “Something before the Bruno line.”

In Niall’s mind, he pictured the way Shawn looked sitting next to him, holding his hand, as fireworks lit up the night. “I swear there was lightning coming from your eyes, starting a fire in a hotel room. Yeah, we were dancing, dancing to Bruno, and I couldn’t turn away from you.”

Louis stopped. “Wait, did you really light something on fire in the hotel room on the fourth?”

Niall cackled and then waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “No, just a metaphor.”

“Stop. I don’t need all the details on how Shawn’s eyes are making you hot for him.”

After a few more tweaks, the song just felt—right. “I say we go ahead and record. It’s as ready as it can get while we’re still here.”

“Agreed. Finishing touches are for LA.”

Niall grabbed his guitar, and they headed for his bedroom where their equipment was set up. He left Louis to play guitar as he sang into the mic, holding the lyrics in his hand. And then as he sang, he no longer needed the page in front of him. The words had already seeped into his heart and mind, so he closed his eyes and sang them into the mic. 

“All of my life it’s been heartbreak weather. Thinking to myself it won’t get better. It can be so lonely in this city. But it feels different when you’re with me. It feels different when you’re with me.”

As Louis played the final chord, he opened his eyes. “Another take?”

Louis had an odd look on his face. “No. Ni, that was—it was really good. I don’t think you need another take.”

“Okay.” It seemed like Louis was eying him strangely still. “What aren’t you saying, Tommo?

“You really care about him.”

“Oh.” Niall’s cheeks heated up. He shrugged, but couldn’t stop the smile playing on his lips. 

“I never thought of you as lonely. But now that I think about it—I get it.” Louis frowned.

“I mean, I wasn’t crying my eyes out every night, but yeah, gets a little lonely out on tour all the time.” Niall chewed on his thumbnail for a second. “Not really great for relationships when you have to leave someone behind all the time.”

“Yeah. I can see that. One of those all alone in a crowded room situations.”

Niall sighed. “I’ve always got people around. Friends, management, songwriters, the band, whatever. But it’s pretty clear I can’t keep a relationship with someone going through any tour.”

Louis was silent for a moment. “So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Shawn’s different, right? He seems like he’s someone you aren’t going to let go of because a tour kept you apart.”

“He is.” Niall swallowed. “Never felt like this before.”

“I know.” Louis smirked. “You wrote it into the song.”

“Shut up.” He threw a pillow at Louis’ head.

“Hey, now! I know I didn’t write that line, so—”

“Was thinking maybe I don’t want to leave him behind.”

“You thinking about staying?”

Niall scrunched his nose. “What? Of course not. I meant maybe I’d ask Shawn to come with me when I leave.” As soon as he said the words, he realized how much he meant them. Shawn wanted to see the world, and well, Niall could provide that for him. It was a great idea. Probably.

“Oh.” Louis slumped back into his chair. “Right. Of course. You deserve to be happy, and if Shawn is part of your happiness, you shouldn’t let him go.”

“What if—” Doubts began to enter. He ran a hand over his face with a groan. “What if he doesn’t want to leave though? What if I’m getting this all wrong and making more of this than it is?”

“You’re not.” Louis sounded so damn sure. “But you don’t have to ask him tomorrow. There’s still time before we’re done with your album. You seeing him tonight?”

“Maybe later He’s going to a friend’s birthday party. Thought I might be a distraction if I went.”

“Well, you can help me and Hank put the horses to bed then.”

Niall made a face. “This place is getting to you. You’re the one going to end up staying here and becoming a cowboy.”

  
  


His phone buzzed incessantly in the darkness. At first he thought it was just part of a dream, but then he realized his phone was ringing. He’s only got a few numbers who can reach him at night, so he grabbed it immediately.

“Shawn? You okay?”

“Niall! Yes, I’m really really good. So good.” He could barely hear Shawn’s slurred words over the noise in the background, music and shouting. 

He sat up in bed. “You drunk dialling me from the bar?”

“Um, noooo? Not drunk. Just drunk on you.”

Niall laughed. “Sure, Shawnie. Not drunk at all.”

“Love when you call me that. Love—I love you, Niall Horan.”

Niall’s heart thumped in his chest, a beat out of rhythm with the rest. “Shawn—you’re drunk right now, so just—”

“No. No, I mean it. Love you—love you.” 

He honestly wasn’t sure what to say, but he knew that when they said the words, he wanted them to be when Shawn wasn’t drunk off his ass in a dive bar. There was a commotion in the background and he could hear someone else yelling in the background. “Shawn, get off the phone, you idiot. Did you just call your boy at two in the morning, you—”

Click.

Well, that had been interesting. He went to plug his phone back into the charger when he noticed the Instagram notifications for Shawn. Curious and already awake anyway, he pressed on the notif. 

Shawn had uploaded quite a few pics onto his stories, mostly blurry with unidentifiable people. And then, there was one that had his stomach dropping. It was the point of view of Shawn taking a pic down his body with a woman’s body pressed up against him on the dance floor. What the fuck. 

He swiped to the next one and there was a selfie of him licking a stripe up a guy’s face. Niall threw the phone onto his bed as though it had burned him. It was a long time before he fell back into a restless sleep.

Most of the next day he spent in bed. 

He didn’t even care if he was being pathetic right now. Shawn hadn’t even called. Logic told him that Shawn was probably hung over as fuck today, but logic wasn’t really what he was in the mood for.

He knew he was being ridiculous when Louis noticed and asked if he’d been drinking and Meg had made him peach cobbler, which she’d made his whole life whenever he was sad. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that peach cobbler didn’t really fix his problems anymore.

“Okay, what’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” He pressed his lips together as though that would keep the words in. “Just spent some time thinking today.”

“About what?”

“Oh, just about what we discussed yesterday.” When Louis didn’t react, he added, “About Shawn.”

“Okay, why?”

“Well, I was awoken at the hideous hour of two am by my—whatever Shawn is. And I saw an eyeful of what he was up to on Instagram, that’s all.” He waved it all away as though he weren’t sitting in front of Louis looking like absolute shit. “You got time to mess around with a new thing I’ve been thinking about?”

Louis perked up. “It’s what we’re here for. I’ll get my guitar. You want to sit out on the porch?”

Niall nodded and headed for the porch, his guitar in hand. He played through a few chord progressions until Louis sat down and listened a bit, a thoughtful look on his face. 

“So this song got any words yet?”

“Maybe a few.” He hummed along with the tune, throwing in the few lyrics he’d thought up. “You hurt me—doesn’t even cross your mind—tell me that you love me, but you’re out there running wild.”

Louis played along with him, picking it up quickly. He seemed to be listening intently because when Niall murmured, daydreaming about where your lips been, Louis stopped dead. 

“Wait, what? Did Shawn kiss someone else? What’re you saying?”

Niall shrugged and kept playing. 

Louis frowned. “Put the guitar down, Niall.”

He kept playing and sang more lyrics. “Pull my heart right out my chest and drive a train through—”

Louis yanked the guitar out of his hands. “Spill. Now. We’re not writing the song until you tell me what’s happened. Then, I’ll help you write your bitter ass song, which by the way is pretty damn good.”

“Thank you.” He sniffed, but didn’t make a grab for the guitar. “Well, as you know I spent yesterday telling you how I saw a future with Shawn, and  _ he _ spent yesterday getting drunk and licking people on Instagram.”

Louis blinked. “What about the drunk dial?”

“It was Shawn.”

“And?”

“And he said that he loves me. Said it for the first time while he was drunk, so doesn’t even count.”

Louis pulled a face. “I don’t know that it’s completely discounted, but it’s not—ideal.”

“Mhm. Not ideal. So let’s get back to writing my song, which as you’ve reminded me that’s what we’re here for.”

Louis was not to be deterred. “What was on his Insta?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and didn’t respond, so Louis pulled out his phone and presumably opened up Instagram. He spent a minute tapping through the story. 

Louis cleared his throat. “Okay, so I can see being a little jealous, but—”

“Not jealous.”

“Sure you’re not.” Louis rolled his eyes. “Least jealous song you’ve ever written.”

“Not jealous—heartbroken.”

Instead of sympathy, he got another eyeroll. “Okay, drama queen. I’ve literally never seen you act like this in my life, so I’m going to assume you’re in love with him, too.”

“Why else would I want to ask him to come with me when I leave?” The words were out of his mouth before he realized he’d already admitted to himself he was in love with Shawn.

“I don’t know. I knew you were serious about him. Just didn’t know you were madly in love with him.”

“Not anymore.” Even he didn’t believe the words as he said them. No chance Louis would.

“Well, I suggest we finish this song, so you can put all your emotions towards something productive and then go talk to your dumb boyfriend who probably has the world’s worst hangover. I’d suggest not telling him you wrote an angry song about him disguised as a fun pop song though.”

“Whatever. Let’s do this.”

“Hey, just—I looked at the story, and yeah he was pretty sloppy drunk, but I don’t think he was out there cheating on you. Looked like a pretty standard night out for a friend’s birthday to me. And if he ended the night slobbering all over his phone and telling you he’s in love with you, I’d bet he spent most of the night talking about you.”

Niall could feel himself softening. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Louis gave him a small smile. “I mean, you need to talk to him. Tell him it bothered you, but let him explain. I mean, do you really think he was into the girl he was dancing with?”

“How about the burly dude with the birthday crown?”

“I guess not. Probably the birthday friend.”

“So even though it looked like just messing around with friends, for the sake of the song, let’s go ahead and go with pissed off Niall. What was that last bit, pull my heart right out my chest, drive a train through?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Niall sat up. “Give me my guitar.”

Niall kicked at the dirt as he made his way over to Shawn’s. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say, but he knew he wanted to talk about it instead of letting his jealousy fester into any more bitter songs. 

Shawn answered the door wearing a pair of boxers and one sock and looking like he’d been hit by a truck. “Hey, Niall. Sorry about waking you up at—”

“Two am.”

“Yeah.” Shawn stared down at his feet. “Um, you wanna come in?”

Niall followed him into the house, feeling awkward around him for the first time ever.

Shawn just stood there next to the couch, rubbing the back of his neck.

”So about last night—” He waited as Shawn’s words trailed off. “I don’t exactly remember everything I said to you on the phone, but—if I said what I think I said, I meant it.”

Niall snorted. “Well, before we get to that, Tommo suggested that I let you clear a few things up for me.” 

Shawn’s brows furrowed together. “Like what?”

“Like what I saw on your Instagram.”

Shawn pulled the phone out of his back pocket and flipped through some screens. “Okay, what am I supposed to be looking for?”

Niall shrugged. “Maybe some grinding on the dance floor. Maybe some licking.”

“Oh.” Shawn’s mouth formed an oval. “Are you—worried? Or like—”

“Jealous. Louis says  _ jealous _ is the correct word.”

“Shit, Niall. Those are just my friends. It was all just nothing really.”

Niall flopped onto Shawn’s beat up old couch and threw an arm over his face. “Yeah. I believe you. I just let my imagination get the best of me for a minute.”

When he lifted his arm to see why Shawn was so quiet, he found him staring at him in wonder. “Can’t believe you were jealous.”

“Yeah, well—”

“Even after I blurted out how I feel about you, you were still jealous?” Shawn looked genuinely perplexed. 

“I know I was being stupid, but I mean, have you seen you? You’re gorgeous with the curls and the lips and the legs and the abs and the—”

A huge grin erupted across Shawn’s face. “You gonna name all my body parts.”

“Maybe. Or I could add in that you’re sweet and kind and generous—”

“Oh, I can be really generous when I want to be.” Shawn stepped closer. 

Before Niall realized what was happening, he’d been hauled up with a squawk into Shawn’s arms and was being carried through the small house and towards his bedroom. 

  
  


Niall zipped up his suitcase for his weekend away with Shawn and wandered out into the kitchen to see what kind of dessert Meg might have in the fridge. What he found was his Uncle Hank cutting a slice of apple pie at the counter. 

“Hey now, I was coming in here to eat that!”

“My house, my pie.” Hank held up the slice with his bare hands and took a giant bite. 

Niall grabbed hold of the tin and slid it over to himself. “That what you say to all your guests?”

“Nah, just the ornery ones.”

Niall cut his own slide to eat and stuffed it in his mouth. “You and Meg gonna be okay on your own again this weekend?” Crumbs fell from his mouth onto the counter.

“Think we’ll manage. Just the two of us most times anyway.”

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you—”

“Don’t.” Hank raised an eyebrow in warning.

“Aw come on, Uncle Hank. You and Meg have been together for a million years.”

“Not quite that long.”

“Just wondered if there’d ever be a wedding, that’s all.”

Hank shot him a stern look. “What Meg and I have isn’t about that. Just not in our natures, but I’m very glad I’ve found a like minded soul to spend my days with. Now you and my neighbor on the other hand—”

“Are heading to Red Rocks pretty soon, so I’ll go get my suitcase and wait out front for him.” He heard Shawn’s truck coming up the drive before he even got the door behind him closed. 

Shawn jumped out to grab his suitcase and hauled it into the bed of his truck. They headed out onto the interstate, wind blowing through their hair. The truck and the music didn’t allow much conversation, but there wasn’t anyplace Niall would rather be. 

As they made their way towards Red Rocks, he snuck a peek at Shawn, his cowboy hat tipped back on his head, the curls on his forehead tousled a bit. He just looked every inch a cowboy down to the boots and the faded jeans. Niall’s heart skipped a beat at the gorgeous picture he made, but a tiny voice in the back of his mind wondered how serious Shawn truly was about leaving the only place he’d ever called home.

For Shawn, leaving to travel the world was a distant dream, not something to concern himself with anytime soon. Now wasn’t the time to discuss it though. When they got back from their weekend away would be soon enough to bring it up. So he just returned Shawn’s bright grin and watched the mountains roll by.

When they pulled into the campground, Niall felt some of his hesitation about camping dissipate. The tents were already set up and looked spacious and well cared for. Multiple buildings dotted the surrounding land, which Niall hoped were bathrooms of some kind. Then he noticed the sign. “You’re taking me  _ glamping _ ?”

“Yep. Knew you couldn’t handle the real thing, so—”

“How dare you assume so correctly.”

Shawn just laughed as he parked the truck and walked around back to get their things. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was a little concerned about safety and your privacy so they’ve set things up for us a bit differently.”

Shawn walked them out into the site past the groupings of other tents until they came upon one quite large one set up near what looked like a newly built building. Niall walked over and opened the flap.

Inside the tent, he was surprised to see rugs on the floor and a small table with a vase full of flowers and chairs next to a bed, which he admitted he was incredibly grateful to see. He hadn’t been looking forward to sleeping in a sleeping bag or something. Small lanterns sat on tiny tables made of cross sections of a tree atop metal legs. 

“I like it.”

He turned to Shawn, who looked quite relieved at this. “Good. I think you’ll like it even better tonight.”

Niall closed the distance between them, tugging at Shawn’s shirt. “Is that so?”

Shawn giggled. “I didn’t mean it like that, but now that you mention it—I’m glad we’ve got a tent set away from anyone else who’s here.”

That night as the dying stars overhead lit the darkness, inside the tent Niall perched atop Shawn, wearing his cowboy hat as Shawn bucked up into him, there was no room for any of Niall’s earlier doubts. Shawn’s strong fingers pressed into his hips and held him in place, and even in the dim light of a lantern, he could see what was there in Shawn’s eyes. 

This was more than a summer romance.

The amphitheatre was completely sold out. It had been the one thing Shawn had had to relent on about this weekend. There was no way for Shawn to get tickets to see Lewis Capaldi on Saturday night, not with how much they cost on the reselling sites anyway. So Niall had sent Lewis a text and not even five minutes later, they had tickets—front row tickets.

They made their way backstage, Niall’s name and face opening any door stood in between them. It was always something really special to play in an outdoor amphitheatre, the atmosphere and the vibe especially at Red Rocks was just a feeling that couldn’t be described. He led Shawn over to the wall where he’d inscribed his own name years ago during his second tour. 

The crowd just beyond the barriers buzzed with anticipation, and it had been a while since Niall had been to a concert that wasn’t his own. It held both an itch to perform himself and a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t be going out on stage tonight. 

“Neil Ho-ran! Heard you’d be comin’ tonight! My assistant said you called begging for some tickets, so I said, sure let him come. I know he can’t afford to buy any himself, fallin’ on hard times and all.”

Niall cackled as Lewis grabbed him in a bear hug. “Pretty sure you texted me yourself unless your assistant was the one calling me a handsome chap and telling me to show up and make you look more famous.”

Lewis breathed in deeply before releasing Niall from the hug. “Still the best smelling man I’ve ever smelled. Ya smell—expensive.”

Niall just shook his head. “You excited about playing Red Rocks? Favorite venue in the world for me.”

“Yeah, yeah, for sure. Was thinkin’ I’d see Louis with ya though, not a tall handsome cowboy.”

Niall turned to find Shawn standing further away then he’d thought. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you where Louis was right now. But this is Shawn, he lives on the neighboring ranch to my Uncle Hank’s.”

Lewis’ eyebrows shot up. “Oh really? So are ya bringin’ him here to my concert to try and impress him? Watch out young Shawn, he’s tryin’ to get in your pants—”

Niall rolled his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Shawn’s waist. “Oh my god, shut up. Shawn’s my boyfriend, you idiot.”

Lewis stuck a hand out. “Nice to meet ya, Niall’s boyfriend.”

He could feel Shawn relax a bit beneath his fingers as he shook Lewis’ hand. “Nice to meet you, too. I’m excited to see you perform tonight.”

“Fuck, I’m singing tonight.” Lewis whirled around. “What time is it? Am I supposed to go on?” 

Niall laughed, but he noticed Shawn was quiet, maybe unsure of what to make of Lewis. “Anyone else here?”

“Oh yeah, loads. Loads of famous friends, you know? Nah, nah,” Lewis scoffed. “Alessia and Ryan are here somewhere and James. Don’t worry, you’re still the most famous person here, Neil.”

“Oh thank god. I’d have to leave otherwise.”

Someone came to interrupt and talk to Lewis about something, so they wandered out into the audience to find their seats. Alessia Cara was sitting to the left of their seats chatting with Ryan Tedder, and James Bay was seated to their right. He chatted for a bit with James, but it wasn’t long before the concert began and the fans were screaming and the music blared as Lewis came out on stage. 

The show was fantastic, and when it came to a close and they headed backstage to congratulate Lewis, Ryan asked everyone back to his hotel. He almost said yes, just as a reflex. He was always the guy to go hang out afterwards, but when he glanced at Shawn’s face it was shuttered. “Do you want to go?”

Shawn shrugged and that decided it for Niall immediately.

“Thanks, but we’re going to head out. Can’t be romantic with you all around now can I?” He waved them off and then tucked his hand into Shawn’s. 

As soon as they were back in the tent, Shawn didn’t say a word, just undressed them both slowly, deliberately, kissing every inch of his body until Niall whimpered beneath his fingertips. And then he took him apart, piece by piece, until Niall was sure that there was nothing left of him for Shawn to discover. 

As the sweat dried on their bodies, Shawn lay his head on Niall’s chest, and Niall lay awake as he combed his fingers through the curls. 

  
  


In the weeks after Red Rocks, Niall spent his days writing and playing his guitar and keyboard. Music seemed to just flow out of him now, his inspiration at its peak. And his nights he spent with Shawn. Cooking dinner, watching Netflix, massaging Shawn’s sore muscles after a long day. 

This domestic life was all new to him, and he finally saw its charms. Before Shawn, he’d always seen his exes as yet another obligation to attend to, but this—this was different, easy, comfortable. 

This was the person he’d been waiting for. It hadn’t been that he couldn’t commit or that he traveled too much or his career always came first, all the excuses both he and his exes had given for the demise of a relationship. It had been that he’d just been waiting for the right person to come along and be the one he wanted to commit to and travel with and put before his career.

And yet, something still tugged at him. As summer crept to a close and the songs piled up and began to form an album, Niall knew their time in Colorado was coming to an end. He needed to talk to Shawn about this, but it just never seemed like the right time. 

But he should have known better than to get complacent.

He’d sent Shawn a text that he’d be working a bit late tonight, and as he sat near the firepit with Louis and his guitar, his mind drifted to Shawn as it often did these days. 

“So how close are we to finishing this album?”

His fingers slipped on the strings, making a noise that had them both cringing. “Well, we’ve got a good few songs now, don’t we.”

This should have been a good thing, he knew. They had plenty of songs to fill an album, and they both knew it. But that didn’t mean the album was done. He started strumming again, a new melody this time and he hummed along as Louis simply sat and listened.

He stopped and looked into the fire as it crackled. “Need a few more good tunes before I record, I’m thinking. Maybe a ballad or two.”

“Okay.”

Louis picked up his guitar and started playing the melody he’d just listened to, and he smiled at the sound of it. “Colorado was a good idea.”

“Yeah, it was.”

When Harry interrupted them, he took it as a sign to leave the song where it was for tonight and head over to Shawn’s. 

He let himself in, only to find Shawn sat in front of his tv, still dusty from work. “Hey, thought you were working late.”

“Eh, decided I couldn’t stay away.”

“I like the sound of that.” Shawn stood up with a grin. “Haven’t showered yet though. Thought it’d be a while before you came over.”

There was really something about the way Shawn looked after work, his jeans and shirt dusty from being on a horse and repairing things with those long clever fingers. The only thing missing were his boots and hat. One of those could be easily remedied. 

Niall picked up the cowboy hat discarded on the table and walked over to him. He plopped the hat on Shawn’s head. “No shower. Want you just like this.”

The look in Shawn’s eyes changed instantly from amusement to something with much more intent. Without a word, he had Niall in his arms and was rushing him into the bedroom. Their fingers frantically worked at the buttons on Shawn’s shirt before Niall ripped his own off over his head. 

Their lips met as Niall worked on Shawn’s belt buckle and jeans, his lips only released from Shawn’s kiss with a groan when he’d gotten his hands on his cock. Shawn stepped out of the jeans and tossed Niall onto the bed, and when he tried to take off his hat, Niall told him to leave it on.

Shawn chuckled, deep and husky with desire, but he left on the hat, only tipping it back to kiss Niall more deeply. Then, he was leaving his mouth to travel down Niall’s chest, stopping only when he reached the barrier of Niall’s jeans. Shawn made quick work of them, sliding them off of Niall with his rough, calloused hands that sent shivers across Niall’s skin as they came to rest at his hips and his lips teased at the tip of Niall’s already hard cock. 

“Fuck,” Niall moaned. “Don’t wanna come like this though.”

“Mm, how do you wanna come then?”

“Wanna feel you inside me.” Niall shimmied back up the bed from beneath Shawn and pushed him onto his back. “Wanna ride a cowboy.”

Then, it was Shawn’s turn to moan. 

He reached for the lube in the bedside table and slicked Shawn up, listening to the sharp intakes of his breath as his hands passed over him. He kept his eyes on Shawn’s face as he slowly sank down onto him inch by inch, and he let himself think of how he’d ride him in every city in the world if he got to watch this look on his face each time. 

What he saw there was so unlike what he’d ever seen on anyone else’s face. Of course, people had desired him. Fans all over the world had made that very clear. And it hadn’t been that his exes hadn’t desired him; they had. But they hadn’t wanted him like this. As though his every touch set them aflame, as though his pleasure was there own, as though this was an act done in love. 

As he fully seated himself and a rhythm began between them, for this moment, everything was just right. 

“Hey, Nic.” Niall sat on his bed at Hank’s, one that he never slept in anymore, as he finally answered his manager’s call.

“Ah, you finally answered.”

“Been busy. Songwriting is a delicate thing, my friend. Didn’t want to lose inspiration talking to a suit.”

“When is the last time you saw me in a suit?”

“Fair point.”

“Anyway, I was just calling to check in with you. I’ve been fielding calls from the label a lot more lately, so I thought I’d try and get an answer for them.”

“Mm. Tell them songwriting is—”

“A delicate thing. I got it. But how about an update? Are we two days away from having something to record? Two weeks? Two months?”

Niall sighed and lay back to stare at the ceiling. “Not long. I guess we’re about done. I’d like to get this last one done that we’ve been working on. It needs lyrics, but I guess after that if inspiration doesn’t immediately strike, we could probably finish everything else up in LA.”

“This is a good update!” Niall could hear the relief in their voice. “I’ll let them know!”

Okay then. This was it. Time to go talk with Shawn about this. No use putting it off any longer. He’s not even entirely sure why he hasn’t talked to him about it yet, but the butterflies in his stomach might have had something to do with it. He’s never asked anyone to travel with him and  _ stay _ with him before, and his nerves were on edge as he walked slowly towards Harry’s property. 

He almost turned back when he realized Shawn might be busy. Probably wouldn’t be done with work for hours yet, but he made himself keep walking. He could always find him. It was time. He needed to do this.

He let himself into the house. “Shawn?”

His muffled voice called out from the bedroom. “Yeah, I’m in here.” 

It was a bit odd he was here in the middle of the day, maybe he was sick. He quickened his pace and opened the door to find Shawn with a suitcase and a bag sitting open on his bed. In Niall’s confusion, he almost thought Shawn was packing to come with him, but he hadn’t even asked yet.

“What’s going on?”

“Um, just packing. Harry’s uh—he’s sending me to see about some horses.”

“Oh.” Well, shit. This kind of messed with his plan, but he took a breath to begin.

“I’ll be gone for—awhile.”

His stomach sank. “How long is awhile?”

Shawn shrugged, his mouth pursed in a way Niall didn’t like. No, he hated it. He’d never seen Shawn’s mouth look like that before, and he wanted to kiss it away. “About a month.”

“A month.” Niall had no idea what was showing on his face, but it felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. “I’ll probably be gone by then. Back to LA. The album—it’s almost done.”

“Yeah, um—well, maybe I’ll be back to say goodbye.”

There had been a time when Niall had told Louis he’d felt like a train had driven through his chest, but he’d just been saying it for dramatic effect about his stupid jealousy of all things. But now he really knew what it meant. He wasn’t even sure his legs would work well enough to get away from here because that’s all he wanted to do right now in this moment—run. Run as far from this pain as he could get. He had a bad feeling he couldn’t outrun it.

Somehow he managed to get himself out of that house and back to Hank’s, and his legs brought him directly to Louis.

Louis took one look at him and could tell something was wrong. “What happened? Management? Did they—”

“No.” Niall couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that rose up from his throat and choked him. “No, no. My career is great. As always. It comes first, you know.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, the label wants us back in LA soon to record, and I went to talk to Shawn about it, and he was packing a suitcase.”

“Why? Where’s he going?”

“Off to do Harry’s bidding. Gonna go travel around picking up horses for the next month.”

“Month?” Louis sat down on the edge of his bed and frowned.

“Month.” When Louis didn’t respond, Niall continued. “So there I am, stood in front of him about to ask him to come with me, and he’s packing up to leave without talking to me about it at all.”

“Fuck. Did you say anything?”

“Yeah, I said see ya fucking later.”

“Did you really?”

“No, Jesus.” Niall plopped into a chair and wiped a hand across his face. “I just said goodbye. And you know, said I’d be heading back to LA soon, and I might be gone by the time he’s back.”

“And what did he say to that?”

“He said maybe he’d be back in time to say goodbye. Looked at me all sad. Like I was the one breaking up with him.” He decided the chair wasn’t the proper place to be when your heart’s been smashed into a million pieces. He stood up and face planted onto Louis’ bed.

“Fucking hell. Well, I don’t want to tell you what to do, but maybe you should talk to him about it.”

Niall lifted his head only enough so that Louis could see the disdain on his face. “And say what? I guess you don’t feel the same way as me? Sorry, I’m in love with you?”

“Yeah, be honest with him.”

“Can’t believe he ever said he loved me,” Niall mumbled to the pillow. “What a liar.”

Louis was quiet then, and Niall appreciated the way he stayed with him for a bit. 

“What would you say to him if you could?”

He sat up at the question and tried to think about it instead of thinking about how this was probably the first time Louis had ever seen him cry. “You wouldn’t by chance be trying to make me write a song, now would you?”

Louis shrugged, but there was a small smile on his face as he handed Niall a guitar. “Whatcha got, Horan?”

The melody they’d been working on came to mind as his fingers moved of their own accord. His thoughts swirled in his head, and he wondered where it had all gone wrong. “Overreacting lately. Find it hard to say I’m sorry. But I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

Louis didn’t offer any suggestions, so Niall kept going. “And I just don’t know why, the stars won’t shine at night.”

His voice drifted off. This was it. This was the end. He’d come to Colorado to write his album, and he’d had no idea that the inspiration he’d find here was love. Even if it was a fleeting love, it had been real. 

He stopped singing.

As soon as this song was done, he’d have to leave here and admit that what he’d had with Shawn was gone. And he just wasn’t ready to do that.

Louis gave him a few days to wallow in self-pity before he tried to force Niall out of bed. 

He just moaned from beneath his pillows instead of responding.

“Don’t make me do that thing you hate.”

Niall sat up immediately. He hated when Louis pulled out his chest hairs. “I’m up! I’m up!”

“Listen, you can’t just lay around doing nothing about this. I’m guessing you’re not going to put your life on hold until he comes back. Don’t think that’d be an option with the label anyway.”

Niall just shrugged. Of course, he wasn’t going to just wait here, but surely he deserved at least a week of crying in his bed.

“So this means you’ve got to go see him.”

Niall groaned and flung himself back against the pillows. “Why? So he can reject me to my face?”

Louis’ voice took on a stern edge. “You’re Niall fucking Horan. You’re acting as if you aren’t the biggest pop star in the world. You could have anyone you wanted. And I have something to tell you about Shawn.”

“What? Have you heard from him? Did you talk to him? What did he say? Did he ask about me?”

“No, but I know why he left.”

Niall closed his eyes. “Because he doesn’t love me like I love him. I already knew that. Thanks.”

“Christ. So dramatic. It was Harry, okay? He’s the one who sent Shawn away in the first place, and when I talked to him, he outright admitted he’d done it on purpose.”

That didn’t make any sense. “But why? Does Harry hate me, too? Why does everyone hate me?”

“No, one hates you. Harry's just an idiot with a lot of bad memories of the people he worked with in LA.”

For a brief moment, that logic made sense, and then it died a painful death. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What? Of course, it does. Shawn never would have left on his own. And Harry filled his head with nonsense about how you weren’t serious about him. I mean, it’s clear Shawn relies too much on Harry’s opinion, but they’ve been friends a while, and Harry’s basically his mentor and boss, so—”

“No, Lou.” He choked out a laugh that held no joy. “If Shawn’s mind can be changed that easily, then he’s not in love with me.”

Louis stood up, his hands on his hips. “He  _ is _ in love with you. Who wouldn’t be? He just has a really dumb friend that he let make him insecure. It’s clear from what Harry said that Shawn’s in love with you. Now get up. Let’s finish the song, and then you’re going to find out where he is and you’re going to go there and sing it to him.”

He stared up at his friend and saw just how very serious he was. “I am?”

“You are. You’re a singer. This should be how any singer wins back their man.”

As he looked at Louis, he was reminded of how much he believed in him. It began as a relationship of mutual admiration for the other’s talent, and it had evolved into the friendship of a lifetime. With Louis’ help, he always felt like he could do anything. “Okay. You’re right. This is stupid. I can’t let Shawn get away without telling him how I feel.”

“Good. Yes! That’s what I want to hear. You both deserve that chance.”

“Well, don’t just stand there. Go get your guitar.”

They played through the now familiar melody, and a story began to unfold. 

“Let’s just go back to basics. Forget about what’s come and gone.”

Niall wondered for a moment how much those lyrics might apply to Louis and whatever it was that was happening between him and Harry. “Yeah, Lou, nice. Write those lines down. I like those. And maybe the next line could be ‘Cause I hate to see us like this. Breaking up on nights just like this.”

“Okay, and then something romantic. You’re trying to win him back.”

Niall nodded and thought of him and Shawn on a picnic with a starlit night overhead. “We should be shooting for them stars of gold.”

“Beautiful.” Louis typed as Niall sang the lyrics again from the top. “Now what are you asking of him?”

Niall cast his eyes down towards his guitar. “I want him to tell me he wants this, too. I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but we’ve come so far from where we started.”

“So tell me you want it,” Louis sang.

Niall smiled and then sang in response. “A thousand miles away from the day that we started.” 

“And you’re here to put your heart on the line. You’re writing this song to just be honest with him.” Louis thought for a moment. “Maybe something like, I’m standing here with you just tryna be honest. ”

Niall cast his eyes down at his guitar and sang. “If honesty means telling you the truth, well I’m still in love with you .” 

It was time to put his heart on the line. He’d never had to do that before, but the time had come for it. Anticipation crawled beneath his skin. He needed to finish this song and go sing it to the man he’d written it about and see where Shawn’s heart truly lay.

“So—the song’s basically done then.”

“Let’s go through the song a few more times and then—” Niall took a shaky breath. “Let’s get it recorded.”

After a few more runs, they recorded what they had. Just the one take was enough. And then Niall stood up and cuffed Louis on the shoulder. “I gotta go see about a guy.”

Louis stood up and wrapped him in a hug. “I know you do. I’ll take care of everything here, okay? I’ll pack everything up and send it on to LA.” 

“Louis—” Niall’s voice cracked. He was scared but determined now. “Thank you.”

Louis’ eyes shone with emotion. “Love you, Ni. Go get him.”

A quick phone call to his assistant meant that all he needed to do was pack a few things and be ready to get on a jet in a few hours. He chewed on his thumb nail for a moment deciding on his next move, call Shawn or talk to Harry. 

Before he could think too much about it, he walked the fence line and let himself in through Harry’s gate. Lacey came running, and he gave her a few pats on her weird little goat head and she made a funny bleating sound. 

“I hear you, Lacey. And I agree.”

“What exactly do you agree with my goat about?”

“Jesus, Harry.” Niall nearly jumped out of his skin and his hand immediately went to his chest. “Um, your goat wants me to go after Shawn.”

“Is that right?”

“Yep. And she thinks you’re a bit of a dick for sending him away in the first place.”

Harry let out an obnoxious honk of a laugh that startled him nearly as much when he’d just snuck up on him and Lacey. “I guess that’s fair.”

“So are you going to tell me where he is?”

Harry stood motionless for a second and looked him in the eye for an awkward amount of time, but it was as if he were looking for something there on his face. “You really love him, do you?”

“Yes. I do. He’s easy to love.”

“Is he?” Harry almost looked surprised at this admission.

“For me, he is. And I think he feels the same way about me.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“To find out where he is and tell him exactly how I feel and sing him a song I just wrote and—”

“I meant after that.”

“I’m asking him to come with me.”

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? You’re that serious? Or do you often have boyfriends come on tour with you?”

“Never have before, but Shawn’s different. I have some time before I go back out on tour, but yes, when I do, I want him to come with me. And I’d like for him to come to LA with me and stay with me while I’m recording the album. I realize that puts you in a bind if he—”

Harry waved away his concern. “If Shawn’s ready to leave, I’d never stop him. I know plenty of ranch hands.”

“Okay, well—”

“Before I tell you where he is, I just want to tell you why I sent him away and apologize because I can see now that I was wrong about you.” Harry tipped his hat back on his head with a sigh. “My time in the entertainment industry was really—”

Niall’s mind called up images of long ago tabloid headlines of Harry dating everyone who ever stood next to him. “Brutal?”

Harry frowned. “Lonely.”

“Lonely?”

“Yeah. Every relationship, professional or personal, revolved around what someone could get from someone else. The only friendship I had that wasn’t surface deep was with my horse.”

He snorted, but Harry just smiled. “And then I brought my horse here, and I found a place where I didn’t have to be so lonely anymore. I didn’t expect to find anything that could bring me more happiness than here, but now—”

Christ, was he talking about Louis? Apparently, all his preoccupation with Shawn had made him blind to how serious things had become between Louis and Harry.

Harry stopped himself for saying anything further and put the conversation back on track. “I didn’t think it was possible for a celebrity to have real relationships, but you and Louis—what you have is definitely real and it’s special.”

Niall nodded. “He’s as close to me as a brother. I trust him with the thing that has always meant the most to me—my music. And now there’s someone who means just as much to me as my music, and I need you to tell me where he is.”

Lacey nudged Harry’s leg, and he reached down to pat her. “He’s in San Francisco. I’ll text you the exact address.”

Niall grinned and gave Harry a squeeze. “See you later, Harry. It was nice to meet ya.”

“Just make sure you come back and visit more—see Hank and bring back your boy with you, too. The horses will miss him.”

“You can count on it.”

Niall was standing outside an airbnb in the pouring rain when his nerves caught up to him. He’d been running on adrenaline to get him here to Shawn, but now that he was here, he was overthinking it. 

Well, he couldn’t stand out here in the rain all day. He rang the doorbell.

When the door opened revealing Shawn’s shocked face, it hit Niall how much he’d missed him in just the few days they’d been apart. 

“Niall?”

“Yeah?”

“Um—what are you doing here? I mean, shit—come in, you’re getting soaked.”

Shawn backed through the door, and Niall walked in, dripping from the clothes plastered to his skin, his shoes squelching with each step. “I’m a little wet.”

“How long were you out there?”

“Well, I think I might have paced for a while until I figured out what to say.”

Shawn’s eyes widened. “Did you figure it out?”

“No.” Niall grinned. Shawn’s face told him everything he needed to know. The man had zero poker face, his heart firmly pinned right to his sleeve. “But then I remembered I have a song to sing you instead.”

Niall slung the guitar case off his shoulder and opened it. 

“Hold on, just a second.” Shawn darted away and returned with towels. 

Niall peeled off his shirt and dried himself off as best he could. “Not gonna offer me something to wear, huh?”

Shawn just stared at him in delight. “Why would I when you’re stripping off all your clothes in front of me?”

Niall nodded and stripped off all his wet clothing until he reached his boxers. Then he wrapped a towel around his middle, pulled out his guitar, and sat in a chair. 

“What’s the song called?” Shawn’s eyes shone brightly in the unfamiliar kitchen they’d found themselves in for this moment.

“It’s called “Still _ ” _ .”

  
  


Niall chewed his thumb nail as he sat on his couch, his laptop open in front of him. He tapped his foot as he thought about whether or not what he was about to do was a good idea. 

Shawn wandered in from the pool looking like a goddamn underwear model in a pair of brief, black swim trunks. It continued to amaze him even after the last few months they’ve spent together in LA that Shawn could still take his breath away.

“Working on something?” Shawn glanced over at the laptop as he took a beach towel and roughly dried his curls before slinging it around his waist and sitting on the coffee table in front of him, face to face. 

“More like done with something.”

Shawn’s eyes opened comically wide. “Babe! Is the album done? That’s amazing!”

“I think it is.” Niall grinned. “Would you maybe want to hear some of it?”

Shawn placed a hand on his knee, stilling his movements. “Is this why you’re nervous? Because you’re finally letting me hear the songs?”

“You’ve heard the songs,” Niall grumbled. “Some of them anyway.”

“Actually, all I’ve really heard is “Still _ ” _ , which you used to con me into thinking I was going to be hearing more of the songs if I ran off with you to LA.” 

“I did do that, I guess. It worked, didn’t it?”

“Mm. Stop stalling. I want to hear the songs.”

“Okay, but um—I’m going to just play you two of them for now. And hopefully, you’ll understand why when you hear them, but basically, it’s how it started and how I hope it’s ending.”

“How what started?”

“You and me.”

“Oh.”

Niall pressed play as the sound of him humming filled the room, the opening bars of “Nice To Meet Ya _ ” _ coming through the speakers. Utter delight filled Shawn’s face as he listened to the song, and it reminded him of that first moment of meeting him at Hank’s—sometimes he forgot that Shawn’s always been a fan.

_ I like the way you talk _

_ I like the things you wear _

_ I want your number tattooed _

_ On my arm in ink, I swear _

As the song progressed, the wider Shawn’s smile became. 

_ (I got love for you, I got love for you) _

_ Nice to meet ya _

_ (I got love for you, I got love for you) _

_ Nice to meet ya, what's your name? _

_ Let me treat you to a drink _

Niall pressed stop as the song ended and noticed the odd look on Shawn’s face.

“It’s—is it—I mean—”

Based on the look on his face when he was listening, he’d expected Shawn to immediately say he loved the song. 

“The song, it’s—” Shawn looked at him, incredulous. “It’s about me?”

Niall let out a laugh that could probably be heard by his neighbors even though this house sat at the end of a cul de sac and on an entire acre of land. “Shawnie, I’m not sure how you’re going to handle this news, but the whole album is about you.”

“What?” Shawn squeaked out, a look of genuine astonishment on his face. “I mean—I knew about “Still _ ” _ , but I thought—”

Niall leaned forward until their lips nearly touched. “Not sure how you haven’t figured out that I’m madly in love with you.”

Shawn leaned in to close the distance between their lips, but before the kiss could become something more, Niall pulled away. “Two songs, remember?”

Shawn still looked a bit shell shocked, but Niall pressed play again anyway. 

_ That first night we were standing at your door _

_ Fumbling for your keys, then I kissed you _

_ Ask me if I want to come inside _

_ 'Cause we didn't want to end the night _

_ Then you took my hand, and I followed you _

Shawn gasped at the words, the description of their first date set to music.

_ Now, we're sitting here in your living room _

_ Telling stories while we share a drink or two _

_ And there's a vision I've been holding in my mind _

_ We're 65 and you ask _

_ "When did I first know?" I always knew _

Shawn’s eyes filled with tears and took on a searching look as he looked back at Niall. Tears dripped down his face at the mention of  _ when we finally say I do.  _ And then the last lines filled the room with only the sound of Niall’s voice at its most vulnerable.

_ There’ll never be another, I promise that I’ll love you for the rest of my life _

Niall gathered Shawn’s hands in his own. “Shawnie?”

Shawn’s voice wobbled. “Yeah?”

“I’ve always gotten anyone and anything I’ve ever wanted, but you’re not just someone I want. You're someone I need. I love you so much, and I need you more than anyone or anything else in the world.” He released one of Shawn’s hands to pull out a ring from his pocket. “Will you be mine forever?”

Shawn tackled him back onto the couch, kissing every inch of his face. “I always wondered what it was like to be loved by you, but I didn’t have a clue. I could never have imagined being this in love with you.”

“Was that a yes?”

Shawn pressed fervent kisses to his lips until he finally pulled away gasping. “Yes.”


	3. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue ~ Shawn's point of view

Shawn stepped in front of the mirror in his old bedroom of the house he’d once lived in and adjusted the collar of the shirt beneath his linen suit. 

“Looking good.”

He turned to see Harry walk through the open doorway with a smile that met his eyes. It still amazed him to see that smile. He’d known Harry for years without ever seeing it, and now it had become a permanent sight. “Thanks.”

Harry’s look grew wistful. “It’s really nice seeing you this happy.”

“Back at you, Boss.”

“Not your boss anymore, kid.” 

“I guess not.”

“You ready?”

Nerves skittered across his skin, but he nodded.

“Good. Don’t want to leave Niall waiting at the altar too long. He and Louis will break out guitars up there and write a song about it.”

Shawn huffed out a laugh, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Niall or Louis had stashed guitars behind a tree out there near where they’d set up for the wedding. He and Harry walked out his front door and through the gates of Harry Tale Horse Rescue. 

The Colorado sky shone blue and clear above the mountains as they walked in silence up the long drive way to Hank’s house lined with cars of he and Niall’s loved ones. As they walked up the stone steps of Hank’s porch, Harry stopped. “Proud of you.”

The words surprised him. “Why?”

Harry just smiled. “You chose happiness. You’re a smart man, Shawn Mendes, soon to be Horan-Mendes. You work hard to get where you want to go. And you don’t let anything or anyone stop you, even interfering, although well-intentioned, friends.”

“How do you know I wouldn’t have taken your frankly terrible advice if you hadn’t called and told me you were wrong about him?”

“Like I just said, you’re a smart man. What would you have done when you came back to Colorado and found him gone?”

“I’d already bought plane tickets to LA.”

“Knew it.” Harry let out a loud honk of a laugh. “So, you ready to get married?”

“Never been more ready for anything ever.”

They walked through the house, empty but for his mom and dad, smiling from ear to ear. He knew his life wasn’t what his parents had expected, but they knew it was the one he needed to be happy. The three of them made their way out of the house and towards the huge white tents and then beyond them where a rustic gazebo had been constructed just for this purpose with a flowered arch just behind Niall and the pastor. 

An army of white chairs filled with people formed an aisle strewn with petals. Lewis Capaldi walked down the aisle to escort his sister, and then Louis came for Harry, their best men looking like their own engagement might not be far off. 

And then it was time. 

Everyone’s heads turned to look at him as he walked down the aisle escorted by his parents, but he only had eyes for one person, the one currently wiping away tears of emotion as he neared. 

There in the place that had given him the most unlikely of husbands, Shawn had no doubts left in his heart, only wonder.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my fic! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and comments! And if you reblog my fic post [here](https://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/632235241410641920/u-n-t-i-l-a-series-by-allwaswell16-part-one) or retweet my tweet [here](https://twitter.com/all_was_well_16/status/1317474195190747136?s=20), I will love you forever!
> 
> If you're interested in how Louis and Harry get together, you can go back and read part one of this series!


End file.
